Angel
by Tersa
Summary: A story that has only been left up as a yardstick of how far I've progressed. Ignore it, largely, and for goodness sake, go read my more recent stuff instead of this.
1. Default Chapter

Angel

Chapter 1: Hobbit Watcher

Setting: The Shire, when our hobbit heroes are somewhere within the range of 17-22 years old (see the "Authoress' Notes" for the reason why the ages are quite a bit off of what they should be!)

Authoress' Notes: Okay, I know this has been done a zillion times before, I think fics like this are called Mary Sues, but please read this anyway! No slash, just the story of a little hobbit chick with a crush on Samwise ^_^ Make sure you say in your review (or e-mail me if you're afraid of FF.net arresting you) if this should turn into Sam and original character romance. yes, I messed with the ages for a reason. In my (and my friends') strange little worlds, our favorite four hobbits are MUCH closer in age!

I own absolutely nothing except my character, Tersa (yes, believe it or not, Tersa is not actually me as I am in this world!^^) Please review, I love reviews, they motivate me to write more! And FYI for all you flamers out there… send me flames! They are used to cook my yummy ramen noodles that I eat far too much. If you want to e-mail me (NICE THINGS ONLY PLEASE!) then please visit my author profile and do so! 

Now, on with the show!

~*~

"You're always watching, even in this cold weather, and you still don't join the scene." A familiar old wizard asked and the hobbit lass hiding in the bushes jumped.

"Gandalf, don't DO that!" The sixteen year old narrowed her eyes at her friend, but got up and gave him a hug all the same. "You know, there are other ways to let me know you're in town than sneaking up on me and scaring me to death." 

"And there are other ways of making friends than sitting and waiting for someone to approach you, but you still sit and wait." Gandalf replied, his breath forming clouds in the Yule time air. "They are never going to notice you hiding in the trees above them, you have to at least be at eye level!"

"I couldn't do that…" She responded, turning back to the scene below her hiding place atop a small, but steep hill with trees and bushes at the top. "I'd rather stay out of sight where it's safe." 

Gandalf frowned. "Tersa Took, you are as frustrating as your cousin down there." He motioned with his staff to where Pippin, Merry, Frodo, and Sam were below them. 

"I'm surprised you haven't called me 'Fool of a Took!' yet." Tersa grinned. She leaned against a nearby tree and looked up at the wizard. "So what brings you here today?" 

Gandalf chuckled. "Bilbo has decided to have a Yule party this year and I was invited."

"Really? I heard about that, I have it marked on that calendar of mine at home, but I still can't remember when it is!" She laughed. "That just shows how good of a memory I have!" She looked at Gandalf expectantly. "So who's invited?" She added after the wizard didn't respond. 

"Just about every hobbit Bilbo knew the address of and knew he could fit in Bagend. Your parents are invited I know." Gandalf looked down at Tersa with a trademark twinkle in his eye. "And Bilbo is beginning to wonder if 'that girl of Brigina's' is going to come and stay visible long enough to meet Frodo and his friends."

Tersa laughed. "You mean they actually WANT to meet me? I suppose they haven't heard the stories about me being a horrible unsociable dragon then have they?"

"They've heard them all, I'll have you know. It's just that they don't believe them." Gandalf responded and started back to his cart on the road at the base of the hill, snowflakes spinning in the cool air. "I trust I'll see you there."

"It's tonight isn't it?" Tersa called after him and got the briefest nod in response. 

The young Took turned back to where the four boys at the base of the hill were still laughing and running about and smiled. "So, they want to meet me do they?" She crossed her fingers. "Here's hoping they like me." She turned and started the walk to her family's hobbit hole with a laugh. "Lord knows I know enough about them to start a conversation." 

Okay, how was that? My first little chapter… please be nice and review, telling me if I should go on!


	2. Chapter 2: Introductions

Angel

Chapter 2: Introductions 

Authoress' Notes: I'm back by popular demand! Well, not really, but thanks to all the wonderful, wonderful people who reviewed. You guys make writing worthwhile. ^_^  I hope I didn't scare you too much with my 'thank you nice authors!' e-mails!

~*~

"Do you hear me Tersa Took?" Bringina Took demanded, looking at her silent daughter as they walked up to the front door of Bagend. "None of that anti-socialist whatnot that you usually do at parties."

"Yes mother." Tersa responded in tonelessly her mother knocked on the hobbit hole's round door. 

Bilbo soon flung the door open and shuffled them inside talking about everyone and everything that was going on at the party at that moment. "Thank you for coming Brigina, and you too Tersa." He smiled warmly at them both then began to look around. "Where is that nephew of mine? Frodo!" He called over the noise and soon the brown haired 22 year old was at his side. 

"Yes Bilbo?" Frodo asked cheerfully.

"This is Brigina Took and her daughter Tersa." Bilbo said. 

Frodo bowed. "Nice to meet you both! Ms. Took, would you mind terribly if I took Tersa to meet my friends Peregrin, Samwise, and Meriadoc?"

Brigina laughed. "No, I don't mind. If Tersa wants to go with you it's alright with me."

"Thank you Ms. Took! Tersa, would you like to meet them? Maybe?" Frodo asked, and Tersa nodded.

"Why not?" She muttered as Frodo led her though the crowd of adults into the kitchen where the other three boys were. 

"That's Tersa?" Peregrin asked as Frodo walked into the warm kitchen with the brown-haired, blue-eyed hobbit lass following behind him. "From what Rosie said, we expected a de- ow! Merry why'd you hit me?!" Pippin rubbed the back of his head half expecting to be bleeding. "I'm just telling the truth!"

"Well, Rosie tends to exaggerate." Merry gave Pippin a disapproving look. "And you shouldn't repeat everything you hear besides."

"Well, sorry. Anyway, we should probably introduce ourselves." Pippin stepped forward and bowed. "I'm Peregrin Took, also known as Pippin, the hobbit lad who just hit me over the head is Meriadoc Brandybuck, also known as Merry, and the quiet hobbit over at the table is Samwise Gamgee, also known as Sam!"

Tersa smiled. "I'm Tersa Took. I'm not really known as much of anything else except someone who is *very* 'unsocial'." She rolled her eyes. "I can't help it if everyone avoids me." She suddenly realized that all of the four were staring at her. "Erm… sorry… ignore my rambling." 

"It's not that, it's just…" Frodo trailed off and Sam finished his statement for him.

"You look much more like Mr. Frodo than Peregrin." 

Tersa blushed a little. "I know, odd isn't it? Well, I'll leave you alone now, I'm sure you don't want to be caught near an outcast like me. It was nice to meet you all." Tersa said then gave them a brief half smile as she paused in the doorway, then left the room and disappeared into the crowd.

YAY! End of Chapter 2!! I hope you guys are happy with this so far, and I'll see what I can do about all the votes for Tersa ending up with Frodo.^^ Review nice peoples, and I'll post as soon as I can!


	3. Chapter 3: How to Catch a Hobbit

Angel

Chapter 3: How to Catch a Hobbit

Authoress' Notes: Again, I own nothing except Tersa!!!  SO MANY REVIEWS!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! I love you all!!! *Hands everyone that reviewed so far flowers* Just a warning before I let you read though, I was sick as I wrote part of this chapter, So if you find a few more mistakes and whatnot than usual that is most likely why. Now on to the chapter!!! ^_^

"Gandalf? You wouldn't happen to know anything more about Tersa Took than you've already told us, would you?" Frodo asked later that night after all the guests had gone from Bagend except the Gandalf, whom was sitting in a chair by the fire gazing into the flames thoughtfully. The boys' curiosity had taken over soon after Tersa had left the kitchen, and they had all voted that it would be safest for Frodo to ask Gandalf about the mysterious girl after the party. 

"Why do you wish to know my young friend?" Gandalf asked with mock-suspicion. "How do I know you won't use my knowledge for evil?"

"Gandalf please!" Frodo begged, his large blue eyes growing wide. "I won't tell anyone else except Merry, Pippin, and Sam, and then I'll swear them to secrecy! Tersa barely told us anything before she ran off!" He pleaded.

Gandalf chuckled. "Far too curious for a hobbit, most unnatural." Gandalf chuckled.  "I will tell you a bit about Tersa, but only enough so that you can catch her to interrogate on your own." He smiled at the young hobbit hanging onto his arm. "She likes music, reading, and art. Tersa used to be very much like your friends Samwise and Peregrin as well, before she decided she had to quit being that way if she wanted to remain unscathed by the remarks often directed at her." A sad look came into Gandalf's eyes. "She used to be very sweet, out going, energetic, friendly… She may still be underneath that shell of loneliness she's created for herself as far as that goes. If you do wish to be friends with her Frodo, be sure that you go about it carefully. She does not wish to be hurt again." 

Frodo's blue eyes got even wider if at all possible. "What happened to her? Why is she like that now? Gandalf you're going to say the rest aren't you?" 

"I have said far more than you need to know already, but I will tell you this." Gandalf got up from the chair and went to the front door to leave. "If you wish to speak to that girl, realize that she has been hurt and tricked in the past. If she feels the least bit threatened she'll run from you and you'll never see her again."

"Odd. Very odd." Pippin said thoughtfully after Frodo repeated everything the wizard had said after the party the next day in the clearing the four always met. 

"Very." Frodo sighed. "The question is, how are we going to get to talk to h-" Suddenly a realization struck him and he dropped his voice to a whisper. "The watcher! She's the watcher!"

"What?" Merry looked as if he thought Frodo had gone mad. "We don't know who the watcher is! All we know is that whoever it is always watches over us from a ways away and probably thinks we don't know about them."

"So?! Tersa seemed far too comfortable around us for people she doesn't know. She acted like she _knew us! Like she had been __observing us!" Frodo exclaimed barely managing to keep his voice low. "She is who is always watching us! She has to be! She seemed to know us too well to have just met us. And I have a feeling that she is watching us now. Hence why I'm WHISPERING." Frodo glared at Merry._

"Oh shut up." Merry muttered. 

"But Mr. Frodo, even if she is the one who's always watching us, how do we get her down here?" Sam asked, making sure he kept his voice soft. "She obviously is too shy to come near us." 

"Well, Gandalf said she likes books. So maybe if I left one here and we all pretended to leave, she'd come down and investigate. She's a hobbit, so she's bound to be at least a little curious." Frodo pulled a small book out of his vest pocket. "And I have a book right here to leave."

"But how are we going to keep her here to speak with her?" Pippin asked. "Gandalf said she was easily scared off. And I think four hobbits suddenly pouncing on her as she came into a clearing might just frighten her a pinch."

"Good point." Frodo nodded thoughtfully. "Just one of us should go to confront her. The question is who would she be the least afraid of?"

"Sam." Merry and Pippin said simultaneously. 

"What?! Me?! Why me?!" Sam exclaimed and was quickly shushed by the other three. 

"Sorry." Sam whispered. "But why me?!"

"Because you're the quiet one that everyone is always going on about being so polite and sweet!" Pippin rolled his eyes. "Don't you EVER realize that people seem to always open up to you more than they do any of us?" 

"But- I- " 

"They're right Sam." Frodo shrugged. "You should be the one to speak to her." 

"Please?" He added after Sam didn't respond.

"Alright." Sam finally agreed, seeing that arguing with them would get him nowhere. "But when are we going to put this plan of ours into action?"  

"Now, while we know she's still here." Frodo looked quickly over his shoulder. "Or at least while we think she's here. There's a bunch of bushes over there to hide behind as we wait for her. Let's go!"

"What the heck?" Tersa wondered aloud. "Those boys have been quiet for an extended period of time, something that never happens, and then they get up and leave, with Frodo dropping his book!" 

_'They're trying to lure you down there with them so they can make fun of you like everyone else does.' Hissed a voice in the back of Tersa's head. __'No one likes you, those four included. You've seen this trick before.' _

_ 'They do too like me!' Tersa snapped mentally at the voice. 'Gandalf said they didn't believe all that worthless jabber they'd heard about me.'_

_'The wizard was just trying to make you feel better.' The voice insisted. __'You haven't had any friends before and you never will.'_

'I will too!' 

_'No you won't.'_

'Yes I will!'

_'Stop being foolish! You will not, stop hoping!'_

'I will too now shut up!' Tersa pushed the voice out of her mind, refusing to put up with its negative comments anymore. "I'm not letting fear run my life." She muttered aloud and started to creep towards the clearing where the book lay in the grass. "It won't hurt if I at least take the book back to Bagend before something happens to it…"

"There she is!" Pippin whispered excitedly as Tersa crept out of the trees on the other side of the clearing. "She came!!" 

"I know she came!" Frodo answered looking over at his cousin a bit annoyed. "Did you think my plan wouldn't work?"

"I had my doubts." Pippin grinned at him. "But I don't anymore."

"That's all fine and dandy, but she's getting away!" Merry cried as he watched Tersa pick up the book and start back towards her hiding place. 

"Good luck Sam!" Pippin said then with help from Frodo and Merry shoved Sam into the clearing.  

YAY! A long chapter this time! I hope you guys all liked it! Review like good little readers, okay? 

See ya next Chapter! ^.~ 


	4. Chapter 4: Hobbits Falling Out of Bushes...

Angel

Chapter 4: Hobbits falling out of bushes? What?

Authoress' Notes: Thank you to everyone that reviewed!!!!!!! They are all greatly appreciated, and I haven't gotten any flames!!! YAY!!!! *Dances around happily* 

Again, I own nothing except Tersa, so please don't sue me! ^_^;; And just a little note, I like constructive criticism (it helps me write better fics) so keep it coming!!!

And now, onward to the fic, the reason you came here in the first place!

"Do you always greet people by falling out of bushes?" Tersa asked, having turned around to find out what had fallen into the clearing and to her surprise, found Sam. 

"Well, no." Sam said embarrassedly, getting up off of the cold ground. "I usually just say hello, but I sort of, er, tripped. I didn't mean to startle you." 

"It's alright, I've been surprised by worse." Tersa shrugged. "I thought you all had left. What are you doing back here?"

"I came to get Mr. Frodo's book actually."  Sam answered. "You wouldn't have seen it anywhere would you?"

"I was going to take it over to Bagend on my way home." She explained as she walked over and gave him the small book. "I was just out wandering around and nearly tripped over it." She lied.

"How did you know it was Frodo's?" Sam inquired, trying to keep the hobbit talking as long as possible.

"I saw his name on the inside cover. I really must be going now…" Tersa backed up a bit, ready to run as soon as she was out of arms reach again, but was stopped by Pippin, Merry, and Frodo bounding out of the bushes and running over to her. 

"Don't leave!" Pippin gasped. "At least stay so we can talk to you for a bit!"

"This was a trap and walked right into it." Tersa smacked her forehead with a sigh. "Alright what? Take your best crack at me if you're going to. I'll just warn you now; I've been called every name in the book. You'll have to be creative."

"Why would we want to insult you? We worked far too hard to get you down here with us!" Frodo laughed. "What ever gave you the idea that we would make fun of you?"

"Paranoia and voices in my head." Tersa responded. 

"Why would you be paranoid?" Merry asked.  

"I'm friendless. That is enough reason." Was the sulky response. "Why do you care anyway? Because you feel sorry for me? I don't need sympathy!" 

"Gandalf was right once again." Frodo observed, crossing his arms over his chest. "You certainly have made a shell for yourself to hide in."

"I had to! I would have died if I didn't!" Tersa blurted out and immediately smacked herself in the head afterwards. "Damnit!" She cursed. "Why can I NOT keep my mouth shut?! Honestly, my head cannot control this bloody mouth of mine. Forget I said anything, do us all a favor. I'm been alone and that is how I'm going to stay." She turned and began to walk off, but Sam caught her wrist and stopped her. 

"If you hate being alone so much, then why won't you stay here with us for a while? None of us have any intention of hurting you. Please?" Sam gave her a pleading look. "We just want to talk to you is all, I swear."

Tersa took a deep breath and closed her eyes. After a few moments of thinking she sighed. "Alright, fine. On one condition."

"What?" 

"We go inside or something. It's freezing!"

I know, that chapter took FOREVER (I'm such an evil little authoress for making you wait) but there it is. I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I finish writing it! A good review works very well as a bribe to write faster by the way, so be sure to tell me what you think!


	5. Chapter 5: Home Life

Angel 

Chapter 5: Home Life

Authoress' Notes: YAAAAYYY!! *Tosses flowers and cookies to everyone who reviewed* No, I'm not happy about reviews am I? ^_^ Thank you thank you thank you to everyone! Now, as a reward for all your nice comments, here's the next chapter of Angel!

            "Where have YOU been all day?" Brigina Took asked as her daughter skipped happily into the kitchen of the family's small hobbithole. 

            "Out and about." Tersa answered absently, now sitting on one of the many counter tops. "You know, freezing to death, waiting for the apocalypse, that sort of thing!"

            Brigina narrowed her eyes at her offspring. Something was different. "Alright, out with it."

            "Whatever it is I didn't do it!" Tersa cried with mock fear, covering her head with her hands. "Dun hurt me!" 

            "You're not fooling anyone you little sneak. And I know you didn't do anything." Brigina laughed. "You're just too cheerful. Usually you come in here dragging your feet and you mope for at least an hour before you're like this. You haven't killed anyone have you?" 

            "No, surprisingly." Tersa grinned. "But I DID meet someone. Well, four someones actually."

            "Ooo. Were they BOYS?" Tersa's sister Aiana teased from the kitchen table, where she sat reading. Aiana was nearly thirty-three and had a place of her own, but she still managed to come home and keep her parents and little sister company occasionally. 

            "Yes they were as a matter of fact." Tersa sniffed. "They were the four I met at Bilbo's party."

            "You met them at a PARTY hmm? Do you fancy any of them?" 

            "Aiana!"

            "You want to know just as badly as I do mother, and you know it." Aiana laughed, then turned back to her sibling. "Well?"  

            "No I don't fancy any of them! They're just my friends!" Tersa glared at her older sister. 

            "Don't get all offensive about it. If you keep acting that way you'll just make it obvious." Aiana smirked.

            "GAH!" Tersa covered her ears and ran off to her room. "AIANA LEAVE ME ALONE!"

            "You cannot help but torment your sister can you?" Brigina smacked Aiana over the head with a potholder. "You know she doesn't have many friends. You could at least keep from teasing her so." 

            "She'll live." Aiana smoothed her brown hair back down, only to have Brigina ruffle it with her hand and undo Aiana's work. "Mother!"

            "You'll live." Brigina leaned back on one of the countertops and looked around the kitchen with a sigh. "I just do not understand it." She murmured. 

"Oh good grief mother, you're not puzzling yourself about Tersa's lack of friends again are you?" Aiana frowned. "You can't force people to like her!"

"I know, I know." Brigina sighed again. "Aiana?"

"Yes mum?" Aiana answered, groaning inwardly. 'Here it comes, the famous question…'

"Why do you think your sister doesn't have many friends?"

"Because she doesn't go 'Baa baa' like the rest of the sheep." Aiana muttered shutting her book.

            "What was that?" Brigina asked, a bit confused. "Something about a sheep?"

            "Tersa is just different." Aiana said, turning in her chair so she faced Brigina. "She's an intelligent little thing, and shy too. She stays away from most of the other hobbits her age, so they view her as being odd. It's as simple as that.  People did that to me when I was her age too, and I came out of it just fine. Just give her a little time, she'll make friends, I promise."

^_^ There you are my nice readers! Another chapter of my first serious LOTR fic, Angel! I hope you enjoyed it, and if you did (or even if you didn't and want to give me some constructive criticism) review! See ya next chapter!


	6. Chapter 6: Diaries

Angel

Chapter 6: Diaries 

Authoress' Notes: Reviews reviews!!! Such nice people, reviewers.^^ I know the names in the last chapter weren't very hobbitish, I'm not very good at making up hobbit names yet. Maybe I should just stick to naming elves and other such creatures… oh well. And yes my readers, I skip scenes that I don't think are important quite often to try and make better chapters (and chapter openings!) , if you haven't guessed already^^;;  

Now, onward to the story!

            "Sisters are evil."  

            "That was a comment out of the blue! Any special reason you say that?" Frodo asked looking over at Tersa as they walked down the road to Bagend. 

            "My sister was being a git and teasing me about you four last night. Said that I had a crush on one of you or something." Tersa rolled her eyes. "I told her you were just my friends and she didn't believe me." 

            "Well, it would explain why you've spied on us for all these years." Merry laughed. "Do you have a crush on any of us?"

            "If I did, why would I tell you?" Tersa flicked her hair so it 'accidentally' hit Merry. "Besides, nearly all of you are related to me and to have a crush on someone that is related to me is just… disturbing."

            "Well, Sam's not related to you and Frodo barely is, so I guess we'll just have to see which one you flirt with the most when you think Merry and I aren't watching!" Pippin grinned. 

            Tersa felt like smacking her head against the wall. "They're obsessed…" She muttered, shaking her head.

            "What Tersa?"

            "Even if I did like one of you crazy people, have you forgotten about the little age difference? I'm sixteen and you're not. Plus it would be worse for your reputations than being friends with me, if that's even possible. And WHY would any of you feel that way in return? It's insane to think that would happen." Tersa sighed bitterly. "Look, I have to go home anyway, my mother said she wanted me to help her with baking or some other task. I'll see you tomorrow." Tersa ran off, and with a brief wave over her shoulder, disappeared into the trees. 

            "She is absolutely impossible." Frodo said, crossing his arms. 

            "Frodo, is that book on the ground yours?" Sam asked, finally speaking up for the first time since the conversation with Tersa had begun. 

            "No, I didn't bring any books with me." Frodo picked up the small book lying on the ground. "I wonder who's it is. There's no name on it anywhere that I can see." He added as he thumbed through the book, checking the inside of the covers and tops of pages for a name. "Very odd…"

            "Well, then let's read a bit of it and see if we can figure out who it belongs to."  Pippin suggested. 

            "It could be someone's diary Pip. Diaries aren't exactly meant for anyone else to read." Sam said. "Especially if it's a girl's diary… Girl's diaries are some of the strangest things you can read, believe me." 

            The other three just stared at him.

            "It was an accident! It's not my fault my sister left her diary open on the kitchen counter!"

            "Sure it was Sam, sure it was." Merry smirked turning back to the book. "I've always been taught if you don't want the whole Shire to read something, don't write it down, so if it's a diary, how were we supposed to know that? We were just innocently trying to do a good deed by returning the book to its owner." 

            "This is always how he suckers you into being his accomplice in schemes isn't it Pip?" Frodo asked with a sigh. "It's working on me too…"

            "'Fraid so." Pippin shrugged. "He's good at persuading people." 

            Frodo took a deep breath and sighed again. 'I know I'm going to regret this later…' He thought. "We'll read just a bit of it, but only a page or so. If we don't find anything then, we just take it to Bilbo. He probably will recognize it." He said aloud, sitting down on the ground and opening the book to the first page. The other three hobbits sat down around him as he began to read the page aloud…

            _"I shall not write my name or the date anywhere in this journal, so if found it will be harder for the gits around here to figure out who's it is. _

_            I started writing this journal to try to cure my loneliness and so that I will have some record to laugh at in the future when I find it under some book in my closet years from now when I am moving to a place of my own and start reading it. _

_            To all reading this diary, please don't misunderstand! I love my family, I truly do, it's just I wish I had some friends to talk to about books and music and things. My family is as nice as anyone could hope for, I have a mother, a father, and a sister that are all nice to me. Well, my parents always are, my insane sister is another story. She says her teasing is to keep my feet on the ground. I told her I can do that myself and the moment I start floating I'll tell her, but some how she doesn't believe me^_^."_

_            "Another day, another set of complaints! You think they'd notice Diary, you really would. Can't they feel my gaze? I wish I could be down there with them instead of up here hiding. They'd probably hate me though, so it's best to stay out of sight. I'm alone, lost… And if anyone is reading this they're probably screaming mentally for me to shut up and stop wallowing in my misery, it's damnit pointless! To all thinking that… imagine life away from your little friends and see how you feel. This is my diary and I'll do what I please."_

_             "Why did you stop?" Pippin asked. "You're leaving us hanging here!"_

            "Because that's the last line on this page and I know whose diary it is. It's Tersa's." Frodo looked down at the tear spots on the second entry and the smeared words inside of them and felt sick. "We shouldn't be reading this." 

            "Just one more page couldn't hurt! I seriously doubt she has a deep dark secret hidden on the second page of her diary." Pippin argued. "She shouldn't leave people hanging like that anyway."

            "No Pip. I have a journal of my own, and I'd go insane if anyone tried to read it." Frodo shut the diary with a snap. "We'll take it back to Bagend and leave it there. Next time she's there we'll show the book to her and see if she recognizes it and claims it. We'll just say that we found it as we were walking and didn't know who's it was and brought it home so it wouldn't get messed up." Frodo got up, brushing some snowflakes off his pants and glancing up at the sky. 

            The sky was a cold black gray, with a few snowflakes drifting down to the ground. Soon however, the snow picked up and there soon was a light dusting on the ground where Frodo and the others stood. 

            "We should get to Bagend." Sam suggested. "I've never seen a sky like that turn into fair weather without a good storm first."

            "Yeah. And I think we'd better make a run for it, the snow is getting deeper by the minute!" Merry added. 

~*~

            "What was that?!" Aiana cried, her head snapping up out of her book. What she saw was more frightening than the crash she heard. 

            Tersa was just standing in the doorway to the sitting room, the books she was carrying scattered at her feet. All the color had drained from her face and her hands shook, frozen in midair with shock. "My diary." She breathed. 

            "Tersa?! Tersa what's wrong? Are you sick? Are you going to faint? Tersa answer me!" Aiana exclaimed Tersa's trembling starting to scare her. "Tersa what's wrong?!" 

            "My diary!" Tersa shrieked, suddenly turning and running out into the entryway where her shawl hung by the door. She quickly threw her it around her shoulders and had yanked the door open by the time Brigina had come running in from the kitchen. 

            "Tersa Duet Took have you lost your mind? You are not going out in this weather!" Brigina ran over and tried to wrench the door handle from Tersa's grasp with no avail. "Tersa let go! You're not going out! Can't you see the snow on the ground? You'll catch your death!" 

            "I don't care! I have to go up to Bagend! I left my diary in the field and they must have found it, we were just there today! If they read it I- I- I don't know what I'll do! I'm going up there mother whether you like it or not!" Tersa nearly shouted and shot out the door before Brigina could stop her. 

            Brigina cursed and ran after her daughter as far as the gate at the end of the walkway to the hobbithole's door. "Tersa Took you get back here this instant!" She yelled through the whirling snow as her daughter ran around the bend in the road. She called once more before cursing again and stomping back into the house to find a shocked Aiana in the doorway. 

            "Your sister has lost her mind!" Brigina muttered through clenched teeth as she closed the front door, despite the wind's attempts to hold it open. 

            "Where did she go?" Aiana asked, now pale herself.

"To Bagend!" Brigina threw her hands in the air and stalked off to the kitchen. "To Bagend…" Aiana muttered. "I hope that Bilbo will let her stay up there in this weather… she's going to regret running off if she meets up with mother anytime tonight. Even I'M going to stay out of that woman's way tonight!"

YAY! Drama drama! Will Tersa make it to Bagend? Will she get back her diary? Will she figure out the boys read her diary?! All of this and more in chapter seven of Angel! Review my wonderful readers!

…-_-;; Yeah, I know, really cheesy…


	7. Chapter 7: Trapped!

Angel

Chapter 7: Trapped!

Authoress' Notes: Hello again! I am back once again with Chapter 7 of Angel! Thank you to all of my wonderful readers and reviewers, both new and repeat! Now, for the notes… I own nothing but Tersa, so don't sue me!

"Tersa?! What are you doing here?" Bilbo asked as the young hobbit that was on his front step quickly ran in, getting snow on his entryway floor. 

"Hello Bilbo." Tersa said quickly, looking around. "Sorry to disturb you like this, but did the boys find a book outside today?" 

"Actually, I believe they did." Bilbo nodded. "I'm afraid I don't know where they put it however. BOYS!" Bilbo called, and Sam, Frodo, Merry, and Pippin all came running.

"Yes Bilbo?" Frodo asked, then nearly did a double take as he saw Tersa. 'She's here already?! On a night like this?!' 

"It seems Tersa has lost a book, and it may be the one you found one today. Could you go get it please?" Bilbo asked, and Frodo immediately pulled the diary out of his inner vest pocket and gave it to Bilbo, whom then handed it to Tersa. "Is this it?"

"Yes! Thank you all so much!" Tersa exclaimed happily, hugging the diary to her chest. "Sorry for bothering you tonight like this, I'll get back home…" She turned to walk to the front door but was stopped by Bilbo. 

"You're not going out anywhere on a night like this. I'm sure your mother would rather miss you for a night than have you turn up frozen." Bilbo smiled at Tersa warmly. "It's no trouble at all." 

"Oh… alright." Tersa said, turning to face him. "Thank you." 

Little did she know the snowstorm would trap her at Bagend for a week. 

BWAHAHAHA! A cliffhanger! I know, I'm so mean, especially since that was a short chapter too.  ^_^ I promise chapter 8 will be up faster, so don't send an angry mob after me yet! As always, please review! 

(^.^) Thanks! 


	8. Chapter 8: Day One

Angel

Chapter 8: Day One

Authoress' Notes: Hello!!!! I told you this chapter would be up sooner than the last one! Thank you again to all that reviewed, it is much appreciated. ^^ And this chapter is longer, so please don't hurt me. 

"Do you think she's dead?" Frodo asked, poking Tersa's shoulder.

"No, she just sleeps like Sam does, like a log." Merry smirked. 

"Do you think she'll wake up? I mean, she's been asleep forever!" Pippin looked at the sleeping girl curiously. "You'd think she'd notice four hobbits sitting on her bed waiting for her to wake up." 

"We're probably going to scare her to death though." Sam said, not noticing Tersa's eyes slowly blinking open. 

"GAHHHHHHHHH!!!" Tersa screamed and fell off of the bed to the guest bedroom floor as she saw the four other hobbits staring down at her. "YOU BUNCH OF PSYCHOS! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?! HAVEN'T YOU BEEN TAUGHT NOT TO SCARE A LADY LIKE THAT?!" 

"Well, you're really not a lady. You're actually just a girl." Merry said matter-of-factly. "And you shouldn't sleep past noon."

"AND YOU SHOULDN'T BE IN MY BEDROOM!" Tersa shouted back irritably. 

"What's all the fuss about in here?" Bilbo asked, opening the door to the guest bedroom to find four hobbits sitting on the bed, and one wrapped in a pile of sheets on the floor. 

"These psychos were staring at me while I was asleep!" Tersa snapped, glaring at the four boys. 

"Well, she wouldn't get up! Its past noon Bilbo!" Frodo argued, pointing at the small clock on the bedside table. "We had to make sure she wasn't dead!"

"So what?!" Tersa crossed her arms stubbornly. "You could have just woken me up instead of scaring me to death!"

"We already tried! You sleep like a bloody log!" Pip exclaimed irritably. 

"I beg your pardon-"

"Hush!" Bilbo commanded sternly, and the room fell silent. "You lads go and get lunch ready so Tersa can get washed up. I'm afraid I don't have any thing that would be exactly proper for a young lady like yourself to wear, but you can borrow something from Frodo if you like." 

Frodo opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it again when he saw Bilbo's 'don't argue in front of company!' look. Instead he, Pippin, Merry, and Sam went off to the kitchen to fix lunch. 

"Sorry about them scaring you like that earlier." Bilbo chuckled. "They don't mean any harm." 

"Sure they don't." Tersa muttered as Bilbo left the room, shutting the door behind him. 

"GAK!"

"She looks like a female Frodo!" Merry exclaimed. 

"Again, GAK!" Frodo cried, scrambling up onto a countertop. "Back, back you impostor!" He said, waving a wooden spoon at Tersa.

"Oh thank you." Tersa snorted. "Look, it's not my fault I look like you." 

"How do we know that?" Pippin asked suspiciously. 

"Leave her alone guys." Sam said, not looking up from the book he was reading at the kitchen table. "We've put her though enough this morning." He looked up at Tersa and smiled sweetly at her before turning back to his book.  

"You're no fun Sam." Merry said, as Frodo hopped off the countertop. "No fun at all."

"Hm." Sam replied, not really paying attention to anything but his book. 

"Hey, where'd Tersa go?" Merry asked, looking around. "I don't see her in here anymore…"

"No! No! No!" Tersa repeated to herself, hitting her head against the wall. "You do not like him! He was just being nice and you know it! You've told yourself a thousand times before it would never work, and it wouldn't! He's 21 and you're sixteen! No no no!" She paused. "But he's so sweet and- NO! No no no!" She banged her head against the wall again.

"Are you alright Tersa?" Bilbo inquired, looking over at Tersa curiously. " I can hear you out here in the hallway hitting your head against the wall and talking to yourself."

"WHAT?!" Tersa exclaimed, whirling around. "Don't tell them don't tell them please please please don't tell them!" 

"Tell them what lass?" Bilbo replied, becoming more and more puzzled.  

"You didn't hear?!" Tersa asked, stopping her pleading for a moment. 

"I heard something about a 'him' and how you don't like him, but that was all." Bilbo answered, and then it dawned on him. 

"You fancy one of the boys don't you?"

"Mmmmph!" Was Tersa's response as she collapsed on her temporary bed and hid her red face in a pillow. 

"Is that it?" Bilbo asked. 

Instead of saying anything, Tersa opened the diary laying on the bed and pointed to one of the pages.

It took all of the self-control Bilbo had to keep from laughing at what he saw. 

The page was completely filled with nothing but name Samwise Gamgee surrounded by hearts. 

YAAAAYYY! So now you know who she likes! Isn't that just spiffy! How will she survive? This is only the first day at Bagend, and we all know she's going to be there for a week! How embarrassing can it get? I shall be back with the answer to that question in chapter nine of Angel!

Hehehe… I know, another evil cheesy ending.^^


	9. Chapter 9: What Harm Could It Do?

Angel

Chapter 9: What Harm Could it Do?

Authoress' Notes: Yaaaay! I have almost forty reviews! *Dances around happily* Thanks guys! Now, with a bottle of green apple Jones Soda (No, I don't own Jones Soda, don't sue me) at hand and much rewriting, I have written chapter nine! Enjoy my wonderful reviewers!

            "GAH! I have been inside nearly a week! Must… have… air!" Tersa cried as she desperately tried to yank the front door of Bagend open. 

            "Will you quit that?! Bilbo says tomorrow there will be enough snow melted to go out!" Frodo said through clenched teeth as he tried to pull Tersa's hands off the door handle. "Be patient!" Frodo tugged on Tersa's hands a final time, freeing the poor door handle and sending both he and Tersa backwards onto the floor. 

"Ow! Frodo what did you do that for?" Tersa asked, rubbing the back of her head where it hit the floor. "You're lucky my hair cushioned the blow to my head or I'd probably be bleeding all over your uncle's floor."

"It wouldn't be the first time someone had bled on Bilbo's floor, Frodina. He's had to bandage numerous cuts and scratches for me." Frodo answered, standing up and helping Tersa to her feet.  

"Will you people quit calling me that? I have no control over what color my eyes and hair are!" Tersa laughed starting back to the living room where Merry, Pippin, and Sam were. "Besides Lake Eyes, I have numerous stupid nicknames to call you and your friends as well." 

"You have far too many of them." Frodo grinned walking over to one of the overstuffed chairs in the center of the living room and sitting down. "You should have warned us you were crazy before we became friends with you."

"I was so depressed when you first met me you never would have believed I was." Tersa shrugged hopping up on the back of one of the couches then letting herself fall backwards so she was laying with her head hanging off the couch. "Fear me, I am evil! Grr-ness!"

"I don't think you're evil, I think you're just related to Peregrin." Bilbo laughed, coming in and setting down a tray laden with cookies and tea on the small table in front of the couch Tersa was on. "Here's a bit of a snack for you five. With all the jumping around you've done today I figured you'd be getting hungry! I'll be in the study writing for the rest of the day, so just yell if you need anything." 

"Thank you nice person named Bilbo!" Tersa called cheerfully as Bilbo left to go to his study. 

"I refuse to believe being related to me made her this way." Pippin said, munching on one of the cookies. "I think she was strange without my help." 

"I've always been this way, just ask my sister!" Tersa grinned turning so she was sitting normally and grabbing a cookie. "She had to put up with me for years!"

"I'm sure you made her life interesting." Sam laughed. "You've certainly made it a bit more interesting around here in the past week."

"Thanks." Tersa got up and turned away, blushing a little. "I'm going to go and read in the library for a while alright? I'm sure you can get along without me. See you in a bit!"

"Hmm." Merry said after Tersa left. 

"Hmm what?" Sam asked, setting his empty teacup on the table. 

"Hmm as in 'Hmm, I think Tersa likes Sam!' " Merry smirked. 

Sam's eyes went wide. "You can't be serious! It couldn't be!"

"Well, there's one way to find out…" Merry grinned and started in the direction of Tersa's room. 

"We shouldn't be in here." Sam whispered as Merry tiptoed over to Tersa's bed and started rummaging around. "This isn't right Merry!"

"I agree with Sam." Frodo nodded. "It's not a good idea to go prying through a diary!"

"What harm could it do?" Merry asked, pulling Tersa's diary out from under her pillow and cracking it open. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her… or us." 

"You're mad." Frodo sighed, shaking his head. Then Frodo noticed Merry had stopped flipping pages and his mouth was hanging open.  "Merry? Are you okay? What'd you find?"

"Yes Merry, what DID you find?" Came the snarl from behind them. 

All four boys gulped and turned to see a very angry Tersa Took standing in the hallway.

"Please say something." Frodo pleaded, watching Bilbo pace back and forth. 

"What is there to say?" Bilbo asked, shaking his head before looking at the row of hobbits sitting on the edge of Frodo's bed. "I'm sure you already know I'm disappointed. I thought you would all have better sense than to do something like this."

"It was my idea Bilbo. I'm sorry." Merry hung his head. "I dragged them into this, they tried to stop me."

"Don't tell me that you're sorry Meriadoc, tell Tersa that. You were reading her diary, not mine." Bilbo sighed. "What were you doing looking through her diary in the first place?" 

"Er… we were trying to figure out if Tersa fancied Sam actually." Merry replied sheepishly. 

"You noticed that too, hm?" Bilbo smiled, much to the Merry's surprise. "As I'm sure you now know, Tersa does have a crush on Samwise, though she may not now because of this little investigation of yours. And even though you lads are not entirely off the hook, I'm not going to do anything to you. In other words, you can looking as though a dragon is going to eat you Peregrin." 

"Really? You're not going to do anything to us?" Sam asked, looking up at Bilbo in astonishment. 

"Really. You do have to go apologize to Tersa however." Bilbo said.

"WHAT?!"

"She'll kill us!" Frodo exclaimed. 

"You said you wouldn't punish us!" Pippin cried. "How could you lie to us like that?!"

"You might view it as a punishment, but I do not. I view it as being polite, which I know all of you have been taught to be." Bilbo got no response except pleading looks. "Go or I'll never tell you about my adventures again." 

Frodo, Merry, Pippin, and Sam looked at each other horrified, then ran out of Frodo's room and down the hall to Tersa's as fast as their legs could carry them. 

"What do you want?" Tersa growled irritably as her four friends ran in the room, slamming the door behind them. "If you expect me to protect you from whatever you're running from, you've got another thing coming."

"Tersa, can we say something?" Pippin asked cautiously. 

Tersa snorted and narrowed her eyes at them. "If you're going to prance around and chant about me marrying Sam, expect to have heavy objects flying at your heads."

"Actually, we just wanted to say we were sorry." Merry answered.

"And to please forgive us. We know you probably won't, but we were hoping you would." Sam looked up at Tersa embarrassedly. "We didn't mean to hurt you so much, and we don't want to lose as nice a friend as you."

"Really?" Tersa asked hopefully.

"Really." Frodo answered. "Will you forgive us? Please?"

"If you promise to forget about my having a crush on Sam, yes. I think I was going crazy from the cabin fever." Tersa laughed. 

"Fine with us." Merry replied with a grin.

"Good."

Hmmm… should I end angel there? Or should I go into the future a few years to when our favorite four hobbits come back from their quest? You decide my readers! Until my next fic, or chapter depending on my reviewers!

P.S.: Make sure to say if you want this to continue in an actual review so that ff.net doesn't hurt me okay guys? Thanks. ^-^


	10. Chapter 10: WHAT!

Angel

Chapter 10: WHAT?!

Authoress' Notes: Hi everyone! I'm sorry I took so long to get this written. I had it written up, I just had to type it and then I procrastinated so much that the notebook it was in went… poof! But now I have rewritten it, and here it is!

            "NO!" Tersa cried, holding onto Bilbo's couch as both he and Frodo pulled on her ankles to try and get her to let go. "I CAN'T GO HOME! MY MOTHER WILL KILL ME! I'LL BE DEAD! DEAD! SHE'S GOING TO MURDER ME!"

            "No she won't! I'll even explain to her what happened, just let go of my couch so we can get you home now that the snow is gone!" Bilbo said and with a final tug managed to get Tersa to let go only to have her latch onto his coffee table. 

            "She'll kill me! Please don't make me!" Tersa pleaded as Frodo tried to pry her fingers from around the leg of the coffee table. "Either that or I'll never be let out of my room again and never get to see any of you again! Please! Just tell her I died or something!"

            "Tersa-" Bilbo started, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Don't move." He ordered, then went and opened the door. 

            "Hello Bilbo. Is my daughter here?" Brigina asked, and heard a frightened squeak from living room where Tersa was still clinging to the coffee table. "I'll take that as a yes." She sighed. "May I come in?"

            "Of course." Bilbo nodded, and stepped aside. "Please don't be too hard on her Brigina. I'm sure she didn't mean to worry you as much as she did." 

            "I'll try." Brigina sighed as she and Bilbo walked into the living room in time to see Tersa hide behind the couch that Merry, Pippin and Sam were sitting on. 

            "If you're looking for Tersa you just missed her. She…er… disappeared just a moment ago." Pippin lied, and Merry nodded enthusiastically.

            "Exactly Ms. Took! Just missed her!" He agreed.

            "I saw her hide behind the couch, but nice try dears." Brigina smiled, and walked behind the couch to find a blanket with a (very large lump in it) on the floor. "If you come out on your own, the punishment will be lessened you know."

            Tersa slowly peeked out from under the blanket and looked at her mother, who still had a touch of a smile on her face. "M-mumma p-please don't k-kill me!"

            "Why would I kill you Tersa?" Brigina laughed, kneeling on the floor beside her daughter. 

            "B-because I ran away an' disobeyed you when you told me to come back and you're probably going to strangle me for making you worry." Tersa answered, pulling the blanket up so you could just see her eyes. 

            "Very true, but I also know why you ran away. Your sister explained it to me, and now I'm not so angry anymore." Brigina dropped her voice to a whisper. "If I had lost _my diary I'd go crazy too!"_

            "Really?!" Tersa exclaimed, crawling out from under the blanket excitedly. "So I'm not going to be punished?!"

            "Now I never said that. You need to do something to pay back Mr. Bilbo, and I think I know just the thing. You can go and work to repair the damage to the plants outside with Samwise and Mr. Gamgee for the rest of the month." Brigina said.

            Tersa went scarlet. "But-"

            "No buts. Now let's get home."

            "Mothhhhhherrrrr!" Tersa whined after Brigina and she arrived home, "Why did you have to pick that!? Why couldn't you pick anything but that?!" She hid her head in her hands. "I can't work with Sam for a month!"

            "Why not?" Brigina asked sharply. "Sam is a nice boy from a nice family. There is absolutely nothing wrong with him! Why are you making such a fuss?"

            "Because she fancies him!" Aiana smirked. "It's written all over her face."

            "Shut up Aiana!" Tersa snapped, blushing again. "I do not!"

            "Then why are you all red?" Her sister teased. 

            "Because the fire is lit and it's hot in here." Tersa glared. 

            "Funny, that's the first time I've seen an invisible fire before." Aiana snorted, looking at the empty fireplace. 

            "SHUT UP!" Tersa yelled. "JUST BECAUSE I HAVE A CRUSH ON SOMEONE DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO TEASE ME!"

            "Ohh! My little baby's first crush!" Brigina beamed and hugged her youngest daughter. "How cute! And he's such a nice boy too! I'm so proud!"

            "GAH! Mother let go of me!" Tersa growled, wiggling out of her mother's arms and running out of the kitchen. "I'm telling the papers about you loonies!"

            "Oh it's so cute!" Brigina sighed happily, reminiscing. "I remember the first boy that I had a crush on."

            "Who was he?" Aiana asked giggling. "If it was a Gamgee then we know where Tersa got her taste in boys from!"

            "Actually it was your father.' Brigina grinned. "I didn't tell him until we were both thirty-three, but I had fancied him ever since I was around Tersa's age."

            "At least you liked someone that was about as old as you were. Sam is something like four or five years older than Tersa." Aiana frowned, thinking. "She's growing up fast and acts older than she is, but Tersa is still just sixteen. I don't want to see her get hurt." 

            "Maybe you should tell her that instead of teasing her constantly." Brigina suggested absently, filling a teapot with water to heat and make tea. "I'm sure she'd appreciate it."

            Aiana just grumbled in response.

Weee!! The long awaited chapter ten of Angel! Again guys, I'm sorry for making you wait so long. I know I hate waiting for people to update their fics, and I didn't update for something like three or four weeks. Just do me a favor and please review, even if it's just to tell me to post faster! Thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11: If Only

Angel

Chapter 11: If Only

Authoress' Notes: Hi everyone! Again, sorry for making you wait so long for the 10th chapter of Angel. I'm going to try and make up for it by writing the next few chapters faster (and yes, I'll try to make them longer! ^.~) Now, onward to Chapter 11: If Only

"Aiana please! I'll clean your house, do your laundry, anything! Just don't make me go!" Tersa begged as Aiana forced her up the road to Bagend. "Please!"

"It's your own fault. Besides, maybe you could convince Sam to like you back while you're there." Aiana grinned. 

"Aiana quit! That's not funny." Tersa sulked, feeling her face getting red again. "You know I have no chance as well as I do." 

"Don't give up faith just yet." Aiana smiled as they finally reached Bagend's front gate to find Sam and his father already there. 

"Hello girls!" Hamfast said with a bit of a wave. "Which one of you is to be my new assistant?"

"M-me." Tersa stuttered.

"You must be Tersa then." Hamfast gave her a reassuring smile. "You won't be too terribly bored, I promise."

"When do you want me to come back for her?" Aiana asked. 

"We'll walk her home a bit before sunset. You don't have to trouble yourself with coming to get her." Hamfast replied. 

"Alright then. See you later Ters." Aiana said giving her little sister a kiss on the head then starting down the road. 

"Er… what do you want me to do Mr. Gamgee?" Tersa asked, looking around the garden uncertainly. 

"Just clean up the broken stems and just generally help out I suppose. Just ask Samwise, he'll tell you what to do." Hamfast nodded over to where Sam was working on something across the lawn.

"Hi Tersa! When did you get here?" Sam asked as he noticed Tersa walking up to him. 

"Just now." Tersa answered casually. "Your dad told me to come and ask you what I'm supposed to do."

"There isn't much to do except check that the plants are still here really." Sam said with a touch of a smile. "I apologize in advance if you die of boredom. Dormant plants aren't that interesting."

"Dormant? What do you mean by that?" Tersa inquired, looking around at the plants. They looked quite dead to her.

"Sleeping. That's why the plants are all brown. They've gone to sleep for the winter." Sam looked over at Tersa questioningly. "You don't know much about plants do you?"

"Sadly, no. I barely know what my favorite type of flower is called." Tersa laughed. "I love any type of rose. I think they're beautiful."

"I do too." Sam agreed, noticing a bit of paper sticking out of one of Tersa's pockets.  "What's that?" 

"Just a sketchbook. I draw, write, and paint whenever I can manage it." Tersa pulled a the small sketchbook out of her pocket and handed it to Sam. "You can look through these if you like. I know these aren't very good, but try to keep from laughing at me too much."

"Why would I laugh? I certainly can't draw this well! Where did you learn to draw like this?" Sam asked. 

"My mother was a part-time artist when she was younger. I just picked it up from her I suppose. It's nothing special." Tersa shrugged as Sam handed back her sketchbook. "The only reason I found out I could draw was my lack of friends. My mother thought drawing would keep my mind off the fact nearly everyone in the Shire hated me or thought I was a freak." 

"They're just jealous of your talent." Sam snorted. "Just don't listen to them. That's what I do." 

"What could they possibly come up with to make fun of you for?!" Tersa exclaimed. __

"I don't know, but they always think of something." Sam replied then saw Tersa was shivering. "Tersa are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm just cold." Tersa assured him then sneezed once. "Drat it all… It seems like I'm sick every other day, especially in winter."

"You should have said something earlier. Here. I was getting too hot with this on anyway."  Sam took off his jacket and draped it over Tersa's shoulders. "What?" He added after Tersa looked at him like he was mad. 

"I- er- um-" Tersa blushed and looked down at the ground. "Thanks." 

"You're welcome." Sam said, giving Tersa one of his sweet trademark smiles.

_'If only he had eyes for me…' Tersa sighed inwardly, looking away from Sam. __'If only…'_


	12. Chapter 12: Beginnings and Endings

Angel

Chapter 12: Beginnings and Endings 

Authoress' Notes: Hi everyone! Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and compliments!!!!!! You guys are what keep me writing (and guilt-trip me out of writer's block!!!!) So as a thank you present, here's the 12th chapter of Angel!

            Tersa and Samwise continued to work side by side for the rest of the month, and became close friends. Tersa's attraction to Sam eventually faded into a distant memory, not because it no longer existed, but because she buried it in her mind and forgot it until a party eleven years later… 

            "No! The big one!" Merry instructed as Tersa held up a firework from inside Gandalf's cart. 

            "How about this Merry?" Pippin asked, holding up a certain dragon shaped firework. 

            "Yes! Get down get down!" Merry exclaimed jumping around. "Someone will see us."

            "Alright alright!" Pippin said, scrambling off of the cart then noticing that Tersa was peering over the side of the cart, glaring at something. "Tersa are you coming?!" 

            "What? Yeah! Just set it off without me alright?" Tersa jumped off the cart and ran over to where the dancing was taking place. 

            "That's odd… I thought Tersa said she hated dancing." Pippin looked over at Merry who was clearly as confused as he was. "Do you think she's sick?"

            "I have no idea." Merry shrugged. "Now lets go find something to light this thing with!"

            "Bloody barmaid… let's burn her…mmmm… flaaaaaames…" 

            "Tersa WHAT are you muttering about?" Frodo asked, moving so that he was sitting directly across the table from her. "You've been bitter ever since Rosie showed up."

            "Do not speak that name in my presence." Tersa glared. 

            "Um, right." Frodo looked over at Rosie then back to Tersa. "And I shouldn't do this because…?"

            "She is evil." Tersa replied irritably. "WHY did you have to shove Sam out there to dance with HER?!" 

            "I don't believe it! You're jealous!" Frodo exclaimed. "After all these years, you STILL have a crush on Sam!"

            "I do not! Shut up if you know what's good for you." Tersa growled. "I just think he deserves better than that THING." 

            "Jealous!"

            "Shut up!"

            "Admit it!"

            "No!"

            "Yes!"

            "No!"

            "Yes!" 

            "NO!"

            "YES!"

            "NO!!!"

            "I'll have Bilbo announce it to half the Shire!"

            Tersa's mouth dropped open. "You wouldn't dare!"

            "I would." Frodo smirked at her then started to get up.

            "NO!" Tersa cried, jumping up and running around the end of the table and blocking Frodo's path. "Please don't! I beg you don't!"

            "Alright."

            "What?!" Tersa asked. 

            "I'll just do to you what I did to Sam." Frodo shrugged then shoved Tersa out into the circle of dancers and as luck would have it, right into Sam. 

            "Er… Hi Tersa. Frodo pushed you out here too?" He asked.

            "Yeah." Tersa blushed, looking anywhere but at Sam. "So how are we going to get out of this fix?"

            "When we get to the outer circle again we run." Sam replied quickly ducking to avoid being hit in the head with a fallen decoration. 

            "Good idea." Tersa agreed. 

            They soon managed to get to the outside of the circle and retreat to the relative safety of the tables where Frodo was still doubled over laughing. 

            "You should have seen your faces!" He choked, nearly falling off the bench he was sitting on. "It was priceless!"

            "That was not funny!" Tersa snapped, smacking Frodo over the head with a nearby rolled up napkin. 

            "Why just because you have a crush on S-" Frodo was interrupted by Tersa beating him over the head with the napkin again. "Ack ack! Vicious attack with a napkin! Ack! Help!" 

            "You're lucky I only have this as a weapon or I'd-" Tersa was cut off by the sound of a gigantic explosion. "What in nine hells?!" 

            "DRAGON!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Someone yelled, pointing to the sky. 

            The next thing Tersa knew she was on the ground beside Sam with his arm around her shoulders as the glittering dragon passed over them then erupted into a glittering explosion high in the sky. "Those idiots…" She sighed shaking her head as she started to get up, knowing exactly who was responsible for that particular firework. 

            "What?" Sam asked when they were both standing again.

            "That was Merry and Pippin's doing… and how did I get on the ground exactly?" Tersa looked at Sam with mock suspicion. "Were you trying to save me Sam?"

            "Er…" Sam blushed a bit and looked down. "I don't exactly know myself. It was sort of automatic." He looked up at her after a moment, still a bit red. "I couldn't loose one of my best friends." 

            "Thanks Sam." Tersa smiled, then turned to where Bilbo was starting his birthday speech onstage to hide some of her blush. 

^^ Please Review!


	13. Chapter 13: BUT I WANNA GO TOOOOOO!

Angel 

Chapter 13: BUT I WANNA GO TOOOOO!!!!

Authoress' Notes: I'm back with a new chapter! *Throws confetti* And I've got over fifty reviews!!!! That's an all time record for me!!!! *Gives all her reviewers cookies* THANKUUUUUUUU!!!!! 

As you all know, after Bilbo's party Frodo got stuck with Bilbo's magic ring, and when he actually found out that the ring was actually the One Ring, he started racing around packing things up and such so he could leave the Shire. But just after Gandalf tells him to go to Bree, a problem arises…

Gandalf's ears immediately perked up as he heard a slight rustling noise outside of the nearest open window, then a few whispers as he motioned for Frodo to get out of sight. 

"What are you DOING here?!"

"Well, what are YOU doing here you mad gardener?!"

"I'm trimming the grass and I am not mad!!!"

"Well, you must be if you're trimming the grass at this hour!"

"Well, at least I have a reason to be here! Why don't YOU explain what YOU'RE here for?!"

"I was just-!"

"Confound it all, have you two been eavesdropping?!" Gandalf demanded, yanking both Tersa and Samwise through the window and slamming them down on anearby table. "Speak!" 

"We weren't droppin' no eaves sir, honest! I was just cutting the grass under the window there, and Tersa- well, I don't rightfully know what Tersa was doing there, she may have been eavesdropping or something but-" Sam began, but was interrupted by Tersa smacking him in the arm.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I MAY HAVE BEEN EAVESDROPPING?!!?!?!?" Tersa snapped.

"Well YOU can't explain what you're doing here this late!" Sam replied hotly.

"Samwise you-!"

"SILENCE!" Gandalf roared. "What did you hear?!"

"Something about a ring and the apocalypse is all!" Tersa squeaked, flinching from Gandalf's glare. 

"Please don't turn us into anything unnatural Mr. Gandalf, sir!" Sam pleaded desperately. 

"There will be no need for that, I've thought of a better use for you Samwise." Gandalf said, letting go of the two hobbits he was pinning to the table. "You will go with Frodo on the quest to destroy the ring. As for YOU Tersa Took," Gandalf turned and glared at her again, "You are going straight home!" 

"WHAAAAATTTTTT???!!!! I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID TOO YOU KNOW!!!! YOU JERKED ME THROUGH THE WINDOW JUST LIKE YOU DID HIM AND I DON'T GET TO GO ON ANY BLOODY QUEST!!!"

"Tersa Took quiet down!" Gandalf snapped, banging his staff on Bagend's floor for silence. "You are staying here! I don't care if you were eavesdropping as well, you are not leaving with Sam and Frodo!"

"Why can't I come!? I'm useful!!!" Tersa got down on her knees and started begging. " Pleeeease Dalfy, oh mighty nice old wizard person?" 

"NO and do not call me Dalfy!" Gandalf snapped.

"Please! I don't want to be stuck here forever! PLEEEEASE?! Please please ple-" Tersa said then was cut off by Frodo. 

"Tersa we may end up going on a long quest that could last years and may never see the Shire or our families again! Stay here where it's safe!" 

"But Frodo-" Tersa began then felt Gandalf's hand on her shoulder. 

"Frodo, Sam, finish packing so we may leave at first light tomorrow." Gandalf said then as Frodo and Sam started gathering up things, kneeled down in front of Tersa so that they were at eye level. "You do not want adventure of the sorts that they will come across in this journey Tersa Took. Why do you wish to risk your life and follow them?"

Tersa cast a glance at Sam, but said nothing. 

"I see." Gandalf nodded with a bit of a smirk. "You'll follow him where ever he may go, even if he may not feel the same?"

Tersa nodded. "He's my friend. I don't have very many friends, Gandalf."

"If you care that much about them, then stay here. They want you to stay where it's safe." Gandalf looked her directly in the eyes. "Stay." He said after a moment then got up, opened Bagend's front door, and motioned for Tersa to go. "Nothing here concerns you. Go home." He said after Tersa was out of the doorway and on the front step. "Go home." He repeated then closed the door, leaving Tersa standing outside in disbelief.

The next day, Sam and Frodo headed off to Bree, after receiving strict orders from Gandalf to stay off the road. The pair spent much of the day walking in silence, until they suddenly heard a loud thud and a couple of muffled curses behind them. After each grabbing a large stick for use as a weapon, they slowly crept towards a patch of grass that was shaking wildly. 

"Bloody! Drat it drat it! Damn these evil weeds! I am so dead if Sam and Frodo find out-" Tersa looked up to find two very annoyed hobbits glaring down at her. "I'm… here… um… hi… guys…"

"_I told you to stay at home, __Gandalf told you to stay at home! Don't you listen to anyone?!" Frodo asked angrily as Tersa slowly got up, brushing some of the dirt off of her brown pants, vest, and cream-colored shirt. "And WHAT are you doing wearing my clothes?!" _

"Well, I figured if I was going to go after you I should at least wear something I could run in." Tersa shrugged guiltily, adjusting her pack. She received no reply, save two glares. "You're going to send me home now aren't you?" She asked timidly. 

"If we were any closer to Hobbiton or any other place where I knew someone, I would." Frodo said after a moment. "And even if I did try to send you home, you would just follow us anyway wouldn't you?"

Tersa nodded. "I refuse to be left behind while you two have all the fun!" 

Frodo sighed, then turned around and started walking. "Come on then." 

"Yay!" Tersa cheered, then hurried to catch up with Sam, who was a couple of steps behind Frodo. "I finally get to do something interesting!"

"You are truly maddening for a twenty seven year old, you know that?" Sam said, watching Tersa skip along side him happily. "We're going off away from home, probably for a long while, and you act like we're just going to the Green Dragon for a bit of ale and will be back before nightfall!" 

"Actually, I would not be NEARLY this happy if we were going to the Green Dragon." Tersa replied, slowing down to a walk again. "I hate that place. Plus, ale tastes horrid. I don't see why you four drink it, even though Merry and Pippin ARE rather amusing when drunk." 

"You just don't like the Green Dragon because Rosie's there." Frodo smirked, glancing over his shoulder at Tersa. "You don't like competition for Sam's affections."

"No, I don't like Rosie because she's an annoying snob." Tersa growled, spots of red in her cheeks. "Don't open your mouth unless you know what you're talking about Frodo." 

"What? What are you two talking about?" Sam asked, rather confused. 

Frodo just grinned and continued walking. 

YAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY! Yet ANOTHER chapter of Angel! Hope you enjoyed it, my wonderful readers! Please review! 


	14. Chapter 14: Elves, Insomnia, and the Ent...

Angel 

Chapter 14: Elves, Insomnia, and the Entrance of Pippin and Merry!

Authoress' Note: YUUUUHULLOOOOOO!!!!!!! I'm BACK! ^-^ Anyway, thank you for all the lovely reviews!!! *Hands everyone that reviewed a bouquet* Just a warning, I'm trying to follow the movie in this chapter, AND I wrote part of it sleep deprived, bwaahahahahahahaha! 

            "Exhaustion… eeee…" Tersa gasped, collapsing on the ground with a loud thud. "I'm a lady, I shouldn't have to haul wood for a madman like you." 

            "You wanted to come, so you have to make yourself useful." Frodo glared from a low tree branch as he lit his pipe. "I don't trust you to cook, you'd probably kill me or something."

            "Only because you blurt out things you shouldn't." Tersa snorted, resting her chin on her hand irritably. "Where's Sam by the way? You didn't send him off to fetch wood too did you?" 

            "No, he went off to get something for cooking. And since he's gone, I'm free to tease you as much as I want." Frodo smirked.

            "Oh leave me alone Frodo. I know it's going to be hard to since you have such a cruel sense of humor, but just leave me alone." Tersa said, glaring up at him moodily. "You've never had a crush on someone, you don't understand." She stabbed at the dirt with a nearby stick. "No one understands."

            "Understands what?" Sam asked as he came back into the clearing carrying various plants and herbs. 

            No response.

            "Alright, leave me in the dark." Sam sighed sitting down by the fire and starting to prepare a meal for the three of them. "'Tis none of my business anyway, I suppose… I came in on the end of the conversation after all." 

            "Frodo's being annoying, that's all you need to know." Tersa said, glaring at Frodo again. 

            "Glare at me as much as you like, I don't mind." Frodo replied, lying back on the tree branch. "It doesn't bother me in th- hey! Do you hear that?!" Frodo asked, sitting up and looking around. "Listen!"

            Both Tersa and Sam stopped and listened, and soon heard a soft song.

            "Elves!" All three hobbits exclaimed at once and quickly started off in the direction of the music. After finding the elves (and a log to hide behind) they sat in silence watching the elves pass by. 

            "They're lovely." Tersa whispered. "But where are they going? There's so many of them."

            "They're leaving the Middle Earth." Sam replied softly. "I don't know why, but it makes me sad to see them leave."

            "At least they know what will become of them. We don't even know if we will make it to Bree." Frodo sighed as the last elf faded into the distance. "We had better get back to camp. The sun is starting to set."

            "Well this is great fun. We get to be stabbed by tree roots AND freeze to death." Tersa said, shifting around in her sleeping spot a bit. 

            "Just imagine you're somewhere else. In a sound proof box for instance." Frodo grumbled, and Tersa smacked him in the shoulder. 

            "You're no help, you know that?" Tersa sighed. "I'm already beginning to think I should have stayed home."

            "Too late to turn back now." Frodo said with a yawn. "Go to sleep."

            "Sleep? Bah. Who needs sleep." Tersa muttered, staring up at the starry sky through a hole in the canopy of leaves above her. "Something is going to try and eat me, I just know it."

            She received only snores in response.

            When Tersa awoke the next morning she found Sam awake making breakfast and Frodo still asleep. She also found an extra blanket over her… 

            "Uhhgh… Sam do me a favor, turn off the sun will you?" Tersa yawned, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. 

            "Good morning to you too." Sam laughed. "I'm afraid I can't turn off the sun, but there's some breakfast for you if you're willing to come over here and get it."

            "That'll work too." Tersa said, then got up and sat down beside Sam. "What are you doing up so early anyhow?"

            "I've always gotten up at dawn." Sam shrugged. "I can't sleep if the sun is shining. There's too much to do." 

            "Hm." Tersa nodded, looking around. "At least you do something constructive during the day. I basically draw and write most of the day." 

            "That's something constructive. I've never read any of your writing, but your drawings that I've seen are beautiful." 

            "Careful Sam, you're starting to sound like you're flirting with Tersa. You wouldn't want Rosie to get jealous would you?" Frodo laughed as both Tersa and Sam blushed. "Anyway, let's eat and get going fast. We need to get to Bree."

            "WHY are we walking through a field?!" Tersa asked impatiently, swatting leaves from corn stalks out of her way. "You two are lost aren't you?!"

            "We are not lost, we're still in the Shire. I think we're on farmer Maggot's land actually." Sam replied, a few paces in front of her. "We'll be out of this in a minute, there's a clear row up ahead."

            "Good." Tersa grumbled, then after a few more steps finally got out of the forest of corn in time to see Merry and Pippin crash into Frodo and Sam. 

            "What the bloody are you two doing here?!" Tersa asked after the four managed to pick themselves up off the ground and Merry and Pippin started shoving vegetables into Sam's arms.

            "Nothing, and for some reason, Farmer Maggot is coming after us!" Pippin shrugged with a grin, and soon after a scythe appeared above the tops of the plants.

            "RUN!" Merry yelled and dashed through the next row of plants with Pippin, Frodo, Tersa, and Sam (who had to be yanked out of his daze by Tersa pulling him by his shirt collar part of the way) until they reached that drop off we know all too well from the FOTR movie and, of course, lost their fell off of it. 

            "That was close!" Pippin remarked cheerfully from his place in the pile of bruised and annoyed hobbits. "Is everyone still alive?"

            "I think I've broken something…" Merry moaned, pulling a broken carrot out from under him. 

            "Sadly it wasn't your neck." Came an irritated grumble from beside him. 

            "Why, hello to you too Tersa! Are you that polite to everyone these days, or am I just lucky?" Merry asked with a smirk and as a result got a cabbage thrown at him after they all managed to get up again. "I'll take that as a yes, I'm just lucky!"

            "Was there any point in causing us to nearly break every bone in our bodies, or is this just another one of your detours that leads no where?" Tersa replied snappishly.

            "Oh this one leads to something!" Merry said quickly. "Tell her what it leads to Pip." He added after a moment of glare filled silence from Tersa. 

            "MUSHROOMS!" 

            Tersa sighed with a shake of her head as Merry, Pippin, and Sam all started fighting over a little patch of mushrooms. "They are so sad…" she said then noticed Frodo staring down the road with a frightened expression on his face. "Frodo? What's wrong?"

            "Get off the road!" Frodo cried, jumping down from the road and diving under a sort of overhang made of tree roots. 

            "Forget that! RUNNNNNNNN!!!!!!" Tersa yelled, jumping off the road, grabbing Frodo's arm, and running as fast as her hobbit legs would carry her while dragging Frodo with Pippin, Merry, and Sam trying to catch up behind her.

            "What is going on!?" Pippin asked when they finally stopped. 

            "Evil… get… Bree…" Frodo panted. 

            "Evil is going to get Bree? What?" Pippin asked, rather confused. 

            "No, Tersa, Sam, and I must get to Bree." Frodo finally managed to say. "It doesn't matter how, just that we get there quickly." 

            "Alright then, onward to the ferry!" Merry shouted and skittered off into the trees, motioning for the others to follow. 

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! Another chapter all done! Yes, I know it was just a repeat for most of you since you've all seen this before, but I hope you enjoyed it anyhow! 


	15. Chapter 15: My, You're a Scary Looking P...

Angel 

Chapter 15: My, You're a Scary Looking Person Aren't You?

Authoress' Notes: Okay, sorry about this taking so long. CURSE WRITER'S BLOCK! (u.u;;;;) anyway, onward to the chapter.

            "Should we knock you suppose?" Merry asked looking up at the tall gate shutting off Bree. 

            "I don't care what you do, but I'm wet and cold and if you don't do something quick I'm gonna hurt something!" Tersa snapped, crossing her arms irritably. 

            "What did I ever do to you to have to her here? You already cursed me with a ring, was that not enough?" Frodo said looking up at the sky for a moment, then started banging his head against the gate. "Why…why…why…?"

            "Who are you?!" 

            "What?" Frodo asked, looking up just in time to see the gate open and be nearly blinded by the lamp the gatekeeper was holding. 

            "What business do five hobbits have in the village of Bree?" The gatekeeper said, finally getting over the shock of seeing so many hobbits in one place. 

            "We wish to stay at the inn, our business is our own!" Frodo replied.

            "Then why the frell did you just tell him why we're here?" Tersa asked and was quickly glared at by her companions. "WHAT?! It just doesn't make any sense!" 

            "Um… alright then. Get inside before I change my mind." The gatekeeper said, beginning to wonder about the group's sanity. 

            Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

            "Tersa quit that! People are staring!" Merry said, putting a hand between Tersa's forehead and the table. 

            "We are so dead." Tersa sighed, burying her head in her arms. "Gandalf's not here, black evil thingies are after us, and we're gonna die!" 

            "At least there's no barmaid here to annoy you." 

            "Shut up Frodo."

            "I am just not going to ask." Sam sighed. "I have given up on trying to figure out what's going on." 

            "Oh, you mean you don't know? Tersa has a crush on y-" Pippin started but was hit in the nose with a bread crust. "What?" 

            "Shut up or I'll throw an entire oven at you." Tersa glared, then went back to hitting her head, and this time Merry did nothing to stop her.

            "Right…" Pippin said, then noticed Merry was missing. "Hey, where'd Merry go?"

            Merry walks up with a pint that is almost as tall as he is. 

            "What the bloody is that!?" Tersa asked.

            "This is a pint!" 

            "It comes in pints?! I'm getting one!"

            "You're an idiot."

            "Bah. Just go back to hitting your head Tersa."

            "Whatever. And to think we have to STAY in this… PLACE tonight. And stuck with demon boy over there." Tersa sighed. "I shoulda stayed home." 

            "But then you wouldn't have gotten to have spent all this quality time with Sam." Merry teased. "Besides, you would have come no matter what. You don't heed advice until it's too late." 

            "So?" Tersa shrugged, looking off into the distance for a moment. "It's not my fault you warped my young mind all those years ago." 

            "I didn't warp it into having a crush on Sam, you did that on your own." Merry replied. Sam nearly choked.

            "What?!"

            "Errrr… he's drunk. Don't listen to him." Tersa lied, turning red. "I'm going to go up to the room and unpack." She got up and started to walk off, but unfortunately she ran into Frodo, whom had gotten up to see where the heck Pippin went. This of course led to Frodo and Tersa falling to the floor, a certain ring flying up into the air, Frodo disappearing, and to the next scene. ^-^

            "Alright, so what's the plan?" Pippin whispered as he, Merry, Sam, and Tersa stood outside the room that Frodo had been taken to. 

            "We run in, hit that guy over the head with something to knock him out, grab Frodo, and run out."  Merry replied, one hand on the door handle, another on a candleholder to knock out Frodo's captor with. "On the count of three. One, two, THREE!"

            "Unhand our friend you mad ruffian!" 

            "Exactly!" 

            "Yeah!"

            "…"

            "Aren't you in the least bit scared?" Tersa finally asked when the hooded figure did nothing. 

            "Not really. You are brave, but you are hobbits nonetheless. " Aragorn smirked. "I am Strider, a friend of Gandalf the Grey. Your friend is fine, but he may not be if he keeps putting himself in danger. Gather your things, you will not be sleeping in this room tonight."

            "SKREEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!"

            "What the hell was that?!" 

            "Your friend after seeing a ringwraith slink into the Prancing Pony. She seems to have passed out." Aragorn sighed, trying to wake Tersa up. 

            "My, you're a scary looking person aren't you?" Tersa said groggily as her eyes finally opened and focused again, this time on Aragorn. 

            "I have been told that on occasion. Are you alright?" Aragorn asked.

            "Yeah, I'm fine…" Tersa replied looking out the window nervously. "What were those th-" She stopped short as a ringwraith's scream cut through the air and pulled a nearby blanket over her head and latched onto whichever hobbit was closest to her. "Save meeeeeeeeee!! I don't want to die now!" 

            "Then you are on the wrong journey." Aragorn murmured grimly, looking at the window. "The ringwraiths shall always pursue the ring bearer. They will never tire; they are neither living nor dead. To be pursued by them is to have death walking one step behind you always, and should you falter…" He trailed off and gazed out the window for a moment then sighed. "But that is our road. Get some rest, we set out at first light."

BWAHAHA! Yet another chapter.^^ I'm sorry it took so long to get up, writer's block truly is EVIL! GAHHHHH!!! *Chases after writer's block with a frying pan*


	16. Chapter 16: Weathertop Through Rivendell

Angel 

Chapter 16: Weathertop Through Rivendell

Authoress' Notes: I am very, VERY sorry for leaving you all hanging for a month, and I have no excuse other than just not writing u.u. However, I have made this my longest chapter ever (almost 4 pages on my word processor instead of the usual two!) and I hope you'll continue reading my fic despite my less than regular updates *Sweatdrop*  

             "Hey guys, where's Tersa?" Pippin asked, looking around the clearing Aragorn had found for them to camp out in for the night. "She's been quiet all day, and now she's disappeared!"

            "I'll go find her, I need to ask her something anyway." Sam sighed, then got up and walked off into the trees. 

            "I wonder what it is that he needs to ask her…" Merry said, looking up at the darkening sky thoughtfully.

            "You really were drunk when you announced to everyone in the Prancing Pony that Tersa had a crush on Sam weren't you?" Frodo laughed, putting more wood on the fire. "I heard you halfway across the room."

            "Tersa is going to kill me…" Merry moaned, burying his face in his hands. 

             Tersa looked at the horizon and sighed as the cool wind ran softly through her hair, throwing a few strands in her face. 'What have I gotten myself into?' She thought, sitting down underneath a nearby tree. 'I'm probably going to die out here.' She shivered as a leaf tumbled past her feet, crumpled and defeated, only able to go where others pushed it until it cracked and fell apart. 'Just like that leaf… but at least-'

            "Tersa?" Sam's voice broke into her thoughts. "Are you alright? You look like you're in a trance." 

            "I'm fine. What are you doing out here anyhow? They send you to look for me?" Tersa asked, looking up at Sam dully. "I don't know why they would… I've been nothing but trouble so far." 

            "So have Merry, Pippin, and I. Frodo is the only one that really needs to be here." Sam paused and looked towards the horizon. "Before we're left in complete darkness or they send someone out to look for both of us, may I ask you something?"

            "Of course. I'll answer to the best of my ability." Tersa laughed, tucking a stray lock of her long brown hair back behind her ear. "Ask anything." 

            "Is what Merry said about you fancying me true?"

            "W-What?" Tersa stuttered staring at him in shock. 

            "That night at the Prancing Pony when Merry said he didn't warp your mind into having a crush on me. Is what he said true?" Sam repeated, and Tersa curled into a ball, hugging her knees to her chest and hiding beneath her hair, instead of answering. "Tersa?"

            "You'll hate me if I tell you. You'll never look at me the same again." Tersa sniffled, her shoulders starting to shake. "Please don't make me answer. Please." 

            "Tersa, your answer won't cause me to hate you. I can't think of much anything that could cause me to hate you, Pippin, Merry, or Mr. Frodo." Sam sat down beside her and put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "Nothing will change, no matter what you answer." 

            "Honestly?" Tersa asked, peeking over her knees at him unsurely.

            "Honestly." Sam smiled. 

            "Then… it's true." Tersa said then quickly hid again, not wanting to see his reaction. "It's true, it's all true please don't kill meeeeeeee!!!!!!"

            Sam blinked, too shocked to do much else. "Really?"

            "Mmph!" Was the only reply he received before Pippin and Frodo came crashing through the bushes. 

            "What are you two doing here?!"

            "Strider sent us to make sure you hadn't been killed by a ring wraith and to drag you back to camp! It's already nearly too dark to see!" Pippin said. "What's taking you two so long?!"

            "I just needed to ask her something, that's all." Sam answered, helping Tersa get up off the ground. 

            "A watchtower? It's a really big rock…" Tersa cocked her head to the side to look at Weathertop from another angle. "A really crumbly big rock."

            "Think what you wish Tersa, but it once was a watch tower." Aragorn said over his shoulder, starting towards the stone structure. "We will rest there tonight, where we can spot ring wraiths coming from any direction."

            "We're SLEEPING there?! It looks like the wind could blow it over on top of us!" Tersa yelled after him, running to catch up. "Are you trying to kill us?!"

            "No, I'm trying to keep you alive. Keep your voice down." Aragorn ordered, and then said nothing more. 

            "Bah! We're all gonna die." Tersa sighed, her head in her hands. "All of us!"

            "You are the most negative hobbit I have ever seen, you know that? We'll be fine." Merry laughed, using Tersa's shoulder as an armrest as they trekked across the field. "Strider won't let anything happen to us."

            "I don't think even Strider could stop one of those ring wraiths." Frodo shivered. "I wish I'd never gotten this ring."

            "At least you have friends to suffer with you." Pippin remarked cheerfully. "It's not all that terrible!"

            "It is more terrible than you know." Frodo replied sadly.

            "Well there is one plus to being stuck with that ring, you'll probably outlive all of us on this journey!" Tersa smiled, trying to cheer Frodo up. "You're the one that needs to be protected after all."

            "True. And I suppose you're right Merry, Strider won't let anything happen to us." Frodo shivered again, feeling unknown eyes on his back as they began to climb the long flight of stairs up to find a campsite.

            As soon as they found a suitable place to camp, Aragorn gave each of the hobbits a sword and went to go keep watch. Then Frodo made his first real mistake in this story. He went to sleep and left Sam to supervise Merry, Pippin, and Tersa by himself where Sam could easily be out voted.

            "All in favor of a fire besides me?"

            "Merry and I!"

            "All opposed?"

            "Mr. Frodo and I!"

            "Sorry Sam, looks like you're outvoted three to two, even though Frodo isn't even awake and his vote really shouldn't count because it wasn't really his vote." Tersa shrugged as Merry attempted to build a fire and Pippin dug through the food bag. "I'm pretty sure there aren't any ring wraiths that are near enough to see just a teeny little fire."

            "But Tersa it's just not a good idea! Strider would be against it, I know he would! It's like just taking out the ring and waving it around saying 'come get us'! Please don't!" Sam pleaded.

            "Er… well…"

            "No influencing Tersa to change sides with an unfair advantage Sam!" Merry laughed, finally managing to get the fire lit. "Besides, it's already been done and we have no water to spare to put out the flames, so just enjoy being warm for the first time in days!" 

            Sam sighed, defeated. He knew he would regret this later…

            "Some protector you are! Frodo's been run through and now we're running for our lives!" Tersa cried from the very back of the group as they ran through a forest, still trying to get away from the ring wraiths who hadn't stopped following them, despite Aragorn's using them as screeching torches. "We've been running for days on three hours of sleep at most, and it's your fault!"

            "Maybe you should have thought before you lit a fire where it could be seen for miles around!" Aragorn growled, trying his best to hold onto Frodo and keep from tripping over plants and stones. 

            "How were we supposed to know they could see it!?" Pippin argued between gasps for air. "You never told us we shouldn't anyway!"

            "I THOUGHT it would be COMMON SENSE!" Aragorn snapped. "Be quiet there's something in the clearing up ahead."

            "They're stone trolls!" Merry exclaimed once they reached the clearing. He knocked on one with his fist. "They must be the ones that tried to cook Bilbo and the Dwarves!" 

            "Never mind that now." Aragorn said, setting Frodo down on the ground. "Stay here, DON'T light a fire, and guard Frodo! Sam, you come with me."

            "Where are we going?" Sam asked, reluctant to leave Frodo's side. 

            "To look for athelas, kingsfoil. It will slow the poison." Aragorn replied the raced off into the forest.

            As we all know, Arwen appeared, swiped Frodo, and rode off to Rivendell. I would tell you about the lovely route that the four remaining hobbits ended up taking, but it wasn't exactly very pleasant (Aragorn was still annoyed about the incident at Weathertop); So I'm going to simply skip ahead to Rivendell. 

            "Wake up you bloody loony." Tersa said, poking at Frodo's hand lying on top of the coverlet. "I don't even think you're sick anymore, I think you're just ignoring me." She poked his hand again. "Come on, just do SOMETHING! Twitch, blink, move a finger, something besides breathe!"

            "You do realize that will do absolutely no good, do you not?" Gandalf asked, walking in and sitting down on a chair beside the bed. "He is not going to wake up simply because you told him to, Tersa Took."

            "Well I figured I might as well try. Sam's been depressed all day because he hasn't woken up yet." Tersa frowned, poking at Frodo's hand again. "Even I'm starting to worry about the annoying little bugger."

            "Glad to know you think of me so highly." Frodo said with a weak smirk, opening an eye. "Could you stop poking at my hand please?"

            "You could have woken up sooner and I wouldn't have had to sit here and poke at your hand!" Tersa laughed. "It's good to have you back I suppose, at least Sam won't be worrying constantly now." 

            "Mr. Frodo?!"

            "Right on cue." Tersa sighed to herself as Sam ran over to the bed.

            "You're awake Mr. Frodo!" Sam exclaimed happily. 

            "Nice to see you too Sam!" Frodo grinned, sitting up a bit. 

            "Sam was by your side everyday." Gandalf said, smiling. 

            "And he dragged either Pippin, Merry, or I down to see you at least once each of those days." Tersa said with mock irritation. "He didn't believe us when we said you'd eventually wake up."

            "You did not say that! You were ranting on about how he was probably going to never wake up until we went to go destroy the ring without him so he'd get out of a job!" Sam glared.

            "Bah. You must have misunderstood me." Tersa sniffed, crossing her arms. "You should get your ears checked."

            "What-?!"

            "They're already beginning to sound like they're married." Frodo laughed quietly to himself then went to sleep, leaving Tersa and Sam to their fight. 

Like? Hate? Just want to chew me out for not updating for a month? Please leave me a review!!!! 


	17. Chapter 17: Reflection

Angel

Chapter 17: Reflection

AN: Yes, that 'you think I'm gorgeous, you want to date me' bit below is from Miss Congeniality, and no I don't own it! I am broke, don't sue me! I own nothing except Tersa! Eeeee!! *Hides* Please don't hurt me for taking so long to post! I sorry! And as always, thank you for the reviews, much appreciated.^^

            Tersa sighed, standing on one of the many balconies of Rivendell, looking out over the pristine waterfalls and gardens. She'd been there most of the day, thinking, not even coming out of her room for meals. 

            "Tersa?"

            …Hence why Sam had come to look for her.

            "Yes Sam?" Tersa sighed tiredly. 

            "What's wrong? I haven't seen you all day." Sam said from the doorway of Tersa's room. "We've missed you. Sarcasm seems to be the only thing that makes elves even smirk around here."

            "I'm not in the mood to be around anyone is all." Tersa replied with a shrug, still not turning around. "I am not quite myself, I suppose."

            "Then who are you?" Sam asked, looking a bit confused. "You look like the same kind, strange, artistic Tersa I've always known from here."

            "If I told you who I think I am, would you believe me?"  Tersa asked, turning around and looking at him sadly. "I don't even believe myself anymore… I just feel so different Sam… I feel sort of detached. We almost lost Frodo, and then it just hit me. If he dies… if he fails… we're all as good as dead. The entire Middle Earth is as good as gone. Nothing will be left." She turned back to the horizon, where the sun was now setting and squinted. "I wanted to come with you so much… and now I just want to go home." 

            "You're not the only one." Sam said glumly. "I want to go home too. After all, we got the ring to Rivendell, but of course, that's not enough, we get to travel all the way to Mordor, which sounds very cheery from what Boromir described it as."

            "I wouldn't know, I wasn't invited to the happy little council that took place today." 

            "That never stopped you before." Sam grinned. "And besides, Merry and Pippin reserved you a place in the fellowship, much to the dismay of the other, taller people."

            Tersa couldn't help but laugh. "They have enough trouble with Merry and Pip I'm guessing." 

            "Something like that." Sam walked over to the balcony and stood next to her, looking out over the greenery. "Tersa?"

            "Hm?"

            "If I were to tell you that I fancied you, what would you do?" 

            "Fall off the balcony in shock and probably break my neck. Why do you ask?"

            "Merry told me to ask you that." 

            "I don't beeeelieeeeve you."

            "What?!" 

            "You think I'm gooooooorgeous, you want to date meeeeee…" 

            "What?!!!! I never said that!" Sam exclaimed as Tersa started dancing around, continuing to sing. 

            Tersa pretended to look heartbroken. "You… don't? Oh the pain!" Tersa fell to the floor in mock-agony as Merry, Pippin, and Frodo walked in, followed by the other, rather irritated looking, members of the Fellowship. 

            "Have you quite succeeded in finding Tersa yet Samwise Gamgee, or are we going to have to wait another hour?" Gandalf said, narrowing his eyes. 

            "No! I'm here!" Tersa chirped, hopping up off the ground with a wave. "Hi everyone I don't know!"

            "Save your energy, you're going to need it later. To the Great Hall!" Gandalf said, starting off towards the Great Hall, the Fellowship following behind him.

            "I have called this meeting to prepare you to leave out the day after tomorrow at first light." Elrond said, spreading a large map of the Middle Earth on the end of the table that the Fellowship was clustered around. The Great Hall was HUGE, and the table seemed big enough to seat all of Rivendell and then some. Moonlight poured in from the roof, and torches flickered on the walls, giving the room a dark, dungeon-like feel. "You will take this map with you and use it as a reference on how to get to Mordor."

            "Erm, excuse me, but how are we going to get to Mordor without being caught or killed?" Tersa asked. 

            "That is up to you." Elrond answered gravely. "If you are caught, it will be your own fault and nothing will prevent it. However, I highly suggest that you do not get caught; as orcs are not very kind to those they take prisoner. You are Tersa, the fifth hobbit coming on this journey, are you not?" 

            "Y-yes." 

            "Welcome to the battle. Now, back to business…"

Well, I updated sooner . I know the chapter wasn't as long, I'm sorry about that… my school won't stop giving me homework and it's getting harder and harder to find time to write. Please review, make an author feel needed! 


	18. Chapter 18: Puddles

Angel

Chapter 18: Puddles

Authoress' Notes: Hi out there everyone! Okay, I'm trying to update more frequently, but it isn't working real well so… yeah… *Sweatdrop* Anyway, summer approaches, and so do more frequent updates! Don't lose hope yet! And, as always, grab some cookies on the way out for being so nice and reading this far and reviewing.^^

            "Bloody hell, I'm bored witless." Tersa moaned, trudging along behind Legolas, or Elf Boy as she had dubbed him. "What to do?"

            Merry, whom was walking beside her, sighed. "I have no idea." Then suddenly, a smirk crossed his face. "I have a plan!" He whispered to Tersa for a moment, and she grinned. 

            "He'll kill us… oh well!" 

            "Who'll kill you for what?" Legolas asked suspiciously. It had become an amusing pastime for Merry, Pippin, and Tersa to tug on his hair, just hard enough to be noticeable, until he turned around and yelled at them. "If you start yanking on my hair again, you may end up missing not only YOUR hair, but your entire head." 

            "Awww… Well, what are we supposed to do then?!" Tersa asked, crossing her arms. "You people never talk to me, and I'm bored!" 

            "You hobbits can never be satisfied!" Gimili remarked, starting to tire of Tersa's complaining that had been almost constant since they left Rivendell. "I've never heard anyone complain for so long or so much." 

            Tersa just glared at Gimili and began poking Frodo's shoulder, simply to be doing something. 

            "What do you want?" Frodo asked dully, not really feeling up to being Tersa's outlet for spare energy. "Couldn't you leave me alone? Please?" 

            "What on earth is your problem? It's only been a week since we left Rivendell. You're not supposed to be depressed again this quick." Tersa replied. "Cheer up!"

            "Tell that to this cursed weight around my neck!" Frodo snapped, tugging at the chain that held the ring around his neck angrily. "It's the source of my misery!" 

            "Frodo CALM. Calm is GOOD." Tersa said, looking at Frodo curiously. 'What is that thing DOING to him?', She thought.  

            Frodo struggled with the chain a little longer, then sighed. "You're right… Sorry Tersa… I don't know what's wrong with me lately… It's just not fair! Why do I have to do this?"

            "I wish I knew." Tersa said, giving Frodo a hug. "Just try to cheer up alright? You always were too responsible and mysterious. We didn't know where you were or what you were thinking half the time."

            "And you were so much better." Frodo smirked, his sense of humor starting to come back. "Spying on us from trees all those years, not telling us who you were or why you were watching us."

            "I wasn't spying! I was… er… hey, where's Sam? He dead or something?" Tersa asked in an attempt to change the subject, nearly running into Bill the Pony when she turned around. "Erm, hello. How are you Mr. Horse… type… thing…" 

            Bill just snorted, unamused, and nudged Tersa hard enough with his nose to cause her to fall into a puddle behind her, causing a large splash, in response. 

            "I'm going to make you into glue!" Tersa snarled as she tried to get up, the entire Fellowship nearly doubled over laughing. She slipped however, and landed right back in the puddle. But this time, Sam helped her up. 

            "Sorry about that Tersa." Sam said, attempting to apologize as Tersa wrung the muddy water out of her hair. "I'm sure Bill didn't mean to push you in to that puddle."

            "I'm sure he meant to. That animal loathes me." Tersa glared at Bill from beneath her wet bangs. "And now that he's succeeded, he's very pleased with himself, as now I'm soaking wet, dirty, and cold." 

            "It doesn't look too bad, it's mostly your cloak. Just take that cloak off and you can wear mine until it dries." Sam unfastened his cloak and held it out to her. 

            "Thanks Sam." Tersa said, blushing a bit. She took her cloak off and draped it over some of the baggage over Bill's back so that it could dry, then put on Sam's cloak. It was a bit big, but it was warm.

            "You're welcome." Sam smiled.  

            'Just like in the garden, all those years ago.' Tersa thought, smiling to herself. 

            "Samwise, just a thought, but I do not think you are going to get your cloak back anytime soon." Legolas remarked that night after they stopped to make camp. 

            "I know." Sam smiled, looking over at Tersa whom was curled up by the fire asleep, still wrapped in his cloak. "I don't have the heart to ask for it back. That's the first time I've seen her sleep that soundly since we were back in Rivendell." He looked at the fire thoughtfully. "She pretends to sleep most nights, I can usually hear her crying when I'm on watch. She doesn't like it out here." He sighed. "She should have stayed in the Shire, it's safer for her there, she shouldn't have to go through all this." 

            "From what I understand, she came of her own free will." Legolas said. "And something tells me she wouldn't stay even if she had been sent back. Something is holding her here."

            "It's me." Sam sighed. "She has a bit of a crush on me, that's why she followed Frodo and I out here. It's my fault." He looked over at Tersa, still happily asleep, a small smile on her face, lost in her dreams. "It's all my fault."

            "You cannot control what she does Sam." Legolas said softly, getting up to go and take the first watch of the night. "You can only guide her as best you can. Get some rest, I'll take your shift and wake Gimli up at midnight."

            "Thank you Legolas." Sam smiled weakly, the gazed into the fire once more, sighed, then went off to find a place to sleep where he couldn't hear Merry's snoring. 

Aww, wasn't that cute.^^ If you want to know what garden Tersa was referring to, go check out chapter 11 again please, I promise you'll understand then.^^ But even if you don't, leave a review on your way out and make an authoress' day. There are not many things that can cheer me up more than a review!!!!!!!

            __


	19. Chapter 19: Caradhras

Angel 

Chapter 19: Caradhras 

Authoress' Notes: Guys I'm so sorry for making you wait so long!!!!!!!!! Finals sucked all the creativity out of me for the past month, I'm afraid. But I finally found some that I keep locked in a shoe box (along with my hammer for smashing writers block) and used it to create a new chapter! Enjoy!

            "And we're supposed to climb… that." Tersa said, hands on her hips, standing beside Gandalf and looking up at the mighty mountain that was Caradhras.  

            "Yes. Unless of course, you have a better idea, Tersa Took, in which case I would be much obliged to hear it." Gandalf answered.

            "You enjoy making me feel like I'm a moron don't you?" Tersa asked, narrowing her eyes at Gandalf.

            "Very much." Gandalf laughed, and then began walking again.

            "We are ALL going to die." Tersa muttered to herself, then started plodding along again. 

            "Most likely." Someone behind her said. 

            Tersa looked over her shoulder to see Aragorn walking behind her, Frodo, Pippin, Merry, and Sam close by as well. 

            "You're talking to me? Are you feeling well Mr. 'Scary Looking Guy That Wanders Around Pubs Frightening People'?" She asked. "I thought you were still irked about the incident with the ringwraiths at Weathertop." 

            "Not really. I think I growled at you enough on the way to Rivendell to ensure that you and certain other hobbits-", He glanced at Pippin and Merry, whom currently had 'What? I didn't do anything! I had nothing to do with it!' looks on their faces, "Won't do anything like that again."

            "Feh." Tersa said as Aragorn walked off to try and catch up with Gandalf, who had gotten a ways ahead of them. "It's not our fault the ringwraiths came after us. If anything, he made them angry by turning them into torches afterward." 

            "You always manage to get out of the blame somehow don't you?" Frodo asked with a smirk. "I wondered how you always managed to avoid being much more than yelled at by your mother for tagging along on Merry and Pippin's raids." 

            "Well, I only did that twice." Tersa shrugged. 

            "Sadly. You were quite good at it." Merry grinned. 

~*~

            "Gandy I don't think this was such a good idea!" Tersa shouted over the howling wind. "In case you haven't noticed, Elfboy is the only one that can walk on top of snow!"

            "Quiet!" Gandalf barked, trudging on through the snow. "I hear something!"

            "Probably our teeth chattering!" Merry said. "Why don't we just turn around?!"

            "Because Dalfy is being a twit!" Tersa answered.

            "Confound it Tersa Took if you don't be quiet-"

            "Listen!" Legolas cried. "A foul voice on the air!" 

            Immediately the entire party fell silent and listened, and sure enough, they could hear a voice on the wind. 

            "SARUMAN!!" Gandalf yelled. 

            "He's trying to bring the mountain down on top of us!" Aragorn yelled over the wind's nearly deafening howl.

            "THANK YOU CAPTAIN OBVIOUS!" Merry, Pippin, and Tersa yelled back in unison. 

            "To Moria!" Said Gimli. "We cannot go over the mountain, so we must go under it!"

            "No! To the Gap of Rohan!" Boromir argued.

            "Moria!" 

            "Rohan!" 

            "Quiet both of you, we must get off the mount-" Gandalf was suddenly cut off by a gigantic pile of snow falling on top of the entire fellowship. 

            Well, after they managed to dig their way out and get down off of the mountain, the debate between Gimili and Boromir resumed. 

            "Moria!"

            "Rohan!"

            "Rivendell!" Pippin added in hopefully. . 

            "Are you mad?! You're going to give up that easily!?" Boromir asked. "Let's just get to Rohan!!!!"

            "That goes too close to Isengard." Aragorn said. 

            "And considering that fact that Saruman lives there and he's already tried to kill us once, Rohan's not such a good idea smart one!"

            "Be quiet Tersa!" Boromir snapped. "You shouldn't even be here!"

            "At least I'm not a ring mad lunatic!" Tersa glared back.

            "You little-!" 

            "Bring it on!" 

            "Stop it, both of you." Legolas ordered from where he was sitting cross-legged on the ground 7 feet or so away, Frodo, Merry, and Sam close by. "Boromir go back to debating with Gimli and Aragorn, Tersa and Pippin come sit over here with the other hobbits and I." 

            Tersa glared once more at Boromir, then walked over and sat down next to Legolas, grumbling. 

            "You'll get yourself hurt by jumping into arguments like that one of these days, Tersa." Legolas said to the sulking hobbit after the argument resumed. "It is best to stay out of disagreements." 

            "Mngh." 

            "You are deaf to all other's opinions except Sam's aren't you?" Legolas asked.

            "What do you mean by that?" Tersa said, keeping her head down. "I don't know what you're talking about."

            "It does you no good to deny it, I've observed you two the entire time I've been in this fellowship and it is very obvious." Legolas smirked. "He might want his cloak back sometime soon by the way." 

            "He has a spare, leave me alone!" Tersa said, curling up in a ball to hide her blushing. 

            "Give up Tersa, the tips of your ears are pink and they're sticking out of your hair." Merry grinned. 

            "Leave her alone Merry." Sam said quietly. "She can't help it and you've teased her enough already this week." 

            "You wouldn't happen to be taking a fancy to her would you Sam?" Frodo laughed. "It's beginning to seem like it."

            "Just leave Tersa alone." Sam said. "You three have teased her forever about her crush on me, and I'm sure it's getting old from her point of view."

            "Alright alright, spoil our fun…" Merry sighed. 

            "Thank you." A soft voice from behind Sam said. 

            "Tersa? What are you doing over here?" Sam asked, turning around. 

            "Hiding." Tersa said. "You're the first one to get them to stop you know. They usually start up again in the next few minutes. I am rather pathetic." 

            "What are you talking about? You're not pathetic." Sam said.

            "Come on Sam, I've had a crush on you practically all my life, it IS pathetic. They should have sent me off to the loony bin long ago." Tersa sighed and curled up in a ball again, head to her knees.

            "No they shouldn't have. We like you right here with us." Sam said, hugging her. 

            "If you say so." Tersa said glumly, uncurling with a yawn. 

            "Tired?" Sam asked.

            "No…." Tersa replied stubbornly, fighting to keep her eyes open as the sun slowly sank behind the horizon. 

            "You never were very good at lying to your friends Ters." Sam said. "You can use my shoulder as a pillow if you want to."

            "Mngh…" Tersa said, jerking her head up after almost falling asleep. "No…"

            "Are you sure?"

            Tersa sighed, glared at him for a moment, then laid her head on his shoulder, falling asleep almost instantly. "Just shaddap and quit moving…" She muttered.

And that's how Merry found them the next morning. 

How cute^^ Review please, I know I broke my promise of not taking a month to update again, so feel free to yell at me, I sowwy.  u_u 


	20. Chapter 20: Moria Part I

Angel 

Chapter 20: Moria, Part I

Authoress' Notes: I told you with summer would come more frequent updates! Pwease pwease come back! I'm sorry all my wonderful reviewers! Irish Bug AKA PIP, Autumn Took, Ruby, danceingfae, AnnabelleOdd, Dersi, Riska, Cavca, pwease pwease come baaaaccckkk!!!! If even just to yell at me. (u_u)

            "Saaaam." Merry said, poking Sam's shoulder. "Wakey Wakey!" 

            "Mngh." 

            "Told you he liked her. Pay up." Pippin said. 

            "Stupid hobbit…" Boromir muttered, handing Pippin five bronze coins. 

            "That's not very nice, betting on one of your best friends." Frodo said, narrowing his eyes at Pippin.

            "You're just mad because you have to pay up too. You owe Merry a silver coin."

            "Shut up…" 

            "Hey, could someone come over here and help me wake Sam up?" Merry asked. "He sleeps like a dead log after all." 

            "What about me?" Sam said sleepily, slurring the words a bit. 

            "Never mind!" Merry called over his shoulder to the rest of the fellowship (who hadn't really been listening to him anyway) then turned back to Sam. "As for you Sam, I don't suppose you've noticed who's using your shoulder as a pillow."

            "Huh? Oh, Tersa you mean? Yeah I noticed, why?" Sam asked, rubbing at his eyes, clearly seeing nothing incredibly unusual about that fact. 

            "Hehehe. No reason. Thanks though, I have a new silver coin because of you." Merry grinned, then went to collect his silver coin from Frodo. 

            "Alright." Sam said, then tried to wake up Tersa. "Ters! Ters wake up."

            "Whaddaya want?" Tersa mumbled, opening her eyes halfway. 

            "You have to get up." 

            "Says who?" 

            "Your pillow because it needs its shoulder back." Sam laughed. 

            "Fine…" Tersa grumbled and sat up. 

Meanwhile, across camp…

            "What are you finding so funny?" Aragorn asked Gandalf, who was currently having to bite down on his pipe to keep from laughing himself to death. 

            "Tersa and Sam, what else?" Legolas answered, as Gandalf couldn't even take his pipe out of his mouth with out laughing. 

            "What's so funny about it?" Aragorn said.

            "You are VERY unobservant aren't you? Haven't you noticed?!" Legolas replied in disbelief.  

            "What, Tersa's crush on Sam? No, I noticed that long ago. I still don't see what's so funny about this however." Aragorn said, beginning to wonder if both Gandalf and Legolas had gone crazy. 

            "It is funny because it's a break in all of this seriousness and darkness we've had over the past few weeks, Aragorn." Gandalf grinned, finally managing to get a hold of himself. "Those two are nearly the only cheer that is left in this Fellowship. We'll need plenty of cheer on this long road, we are starting towards Moria today." 

            "I suppose you're right." Aragorn agreed. "Now, how are we going to get through Moria?"

~*~

            "So much for going through Moria, Dalfy can't open the door!" Tersa said, rolling her eyes. 

            "I can open these doors, just give me time!" Gandalf said irritably. 

            "I hope so, or whatever is lurking in that water is going to jump out and attack us." Tersa muttered to herself, then grabbed an apple out of her pack and walked over to where Aragorn was convincing Sam to let Bill run off and not be forced to trek through Moria with the rest of the fellowship.

            As Tersa approached, Bill stamped and snorted unhappily, as if he was saying 'This is all your fault, you Sam stealer! You want him all to yourself and you're going to turn me into glue!'. 

            "Glad to know you're so happy to see me." Tersa said sarcastically, then turned to Sam. "So, we're getting rid of the emergency food supply?" 

            "Bill isn't an emergency food supply!" Sam said, narrowing his eyes at her a bit. "I know you don't like him, but you don't have to be so mean to him."

            "Alright, I'm sorry. Besides, I brought the demon pony a good bye present." Tersa said, holding the apple in her hand out to Bill. "Here, try to stay out of the way of glue makers will you? I don't want Sam mad at me for the rest of my life."

            Bill nodded happily and ate the apple, then nudged Tersa's sleeve with his nose. 

            "Oh fine, here." Tersa sighed, then handed Bill the carrot she'd hidden up her sleeve. "I suppose you're a fairly smart animal after all." 

            Bill said nothing and happily munched away on his carrot. 

            "I knew you liked him, despite how horrible you were being to him." Sam grinned, removing the last of the baggage from Bill's back. 

            "I don't know what you're talking about." Tersa said, then turned back to Bill. "Off with you demon pony, don't get eaten on the way home."

            Bill neighed then galloped off, but not before he nudged Tersa just hard enough so that she fell into Sam. 

            "Er, hi S-Sam." Tersa stuttered, blushing a bright red.  

            "Hi." Sam said. "Can you stand up again, or am I going to have to keep holding you up?" He added with a slight smile.

            "Oh! I can stand up, sorry about that… I told you, that's a demon horse, I had nothing to do with this." Tersa apologized as she stood up. 

            "Sure you didn't." Aragorn muttered, just loud enough for Tersa to hear.

            "Shut up." Tersa glared at him.

            "Hey Gandalf, what's the elvish word for friend?" Merry asked.

            "Mellon, wh-" Gandalf said then stopped as soon as he realized the doors were opening.

            "You just had to irritate that giant pond critter didn't you?" Tersa said to Merry and Pippin. "You would be rather angry if people were throwing rocks at you while you were in your house." 

            "Well, at least Frodo's safe, right Frodo?" Pippin asked with a laugh, but Frodo didn't answer. He seemed rather preoccupied with something off in the darkness. 

            "Hey! Angst boy!" Tersa said, waving her hand in front of his face. "Yooooohooo!"

            "Hm, what, sorry?" Frodo said, finally realizing someone was talking to him. 

            "Get your brain outta the darkness, you'll have plenty of time for that when we get to Mordor!" Tersa laughed. "In the meantime, come join us in picking our way through the bones of the goblin and dwarven dead trying not to slip on a rib or two!"

            "What a cheerful way to think of it." Legolas said, rolling his eyes. 

            "Well, it's true! I only speak the truth!" Tersa grinned, but Merry thwapped her over the head, ruining her victory stance. 

            "Sure you do. Now keep walking, some of us behind you would like to get through Moria alive." Merry said, trying hard not to laugh. 

            "What about the guy at the end? HEY! Who's at the end of this lovely parade, most likely to be attacked and dismembered by a lurking goblin or two?" Tersa called back into the darkness, where she could just see vague shapes of whoever it was that was behind Frodo. 

            "What do you want?" Boromir called back. "I thought you had no use for a 'ring mad lunatic'." 

            "Only as long as you're looking at Frodo like a dragon looks at a lamb, as something to be eaten, are you useless. Besides, I'll bash you over the head if you ever go ring mad on us; Don't worry!" Tersa grinned, obviously plotting to do so the first chance she got.

            "Thank you so much." Boromir replied, less than thrilled. 

            "Anyone else back there?" Tersa asked. 

            "Just me." Sam replied, moping. 

            "Aw, what's wrong with you?" Tersa asked, pushing her way past Merry, Pippin, and Frodo to get to Sam. "You miss the emergency food supply already?"

            "He wasn't an emergency food supply." Sam said, with a half-hearted glare.  

            "Well, still. Cheer up, he's smarter than most of the fellowship when they first wake up in the morning." Tersa grinned. 

            "You aren't included in that statement I'm guessing?" Aragorn said from a bit up next to Gandalf in the front.

            "Of course not! I'm not at all disoriented in the morning!" Tersa replied, putting on her most angelic 'Yep, it's true!' look. 

            "Sure you're not." Sam laughed, spirits starting to lift despite the gloomy atmosphere. 

            "Oh shut up. Like you're any better." Tersa said, flicking her hair so it hit Sam in the face.  "Hmph." She said, then all of a sudden, ran into Frodo. "Oy! What are you stopping for?!" 

            "Gandalf stopped, I don't know!" Frodo snapped. 

            "Well, aren't we a bit crabby today. HEY! DALFY! WHY'D WE STOP!?" Tersa yelled. 

            "I have no memory of this place, we'll have to stop here." Gandalf called back, then led the rest of the fellowship into the small room in the middle of the narrow passage way. 

            "And here we sit, because Dalfy got us lost." Tersa sighed a few hours later. 

            "We are not lost, Gandalf will remember sooner or later." Merry said.

            "Emphasis on the 'later'." Tersa muttered. Suddenly her ears perked up. "Hey, did you guys hear that?"

            "Hear what?" Boromir asked. 

            "That… hissing. Besides your mumbling to yourself about Gondor and whatnot meaning." Tersa said, then crept over to the side of the cave floor and looked down into the steep drop it was beside. "Over there, that… thing. It's climbing on the cave wall opposite us." 

            "It's Gollum." Gandalf said, taking his pipe out of his mouth for a moment.

            "Eh? I thought you said he was being tortured or something. How did he get here?"

            "He's following us." Frodo said simply, having already asked Gandalf about why Gollum was here. "He's after me."

            "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean he's out to get you." Tersa said, then picked up a rock. "Let us see how my aim is, shall we?" 

            "Go for it!" Pippin said with a laugh. "We need something to entertain us."

            "No Tersa, or you'll be the one that has to fight off the goblins that come to see what all the ruckus is about." Gandalf said, then stuck his pipe back in his mouth. Then, miraculously, he pointed to one of the passages. "It's that way." 

            "He remembered!" Merry exclaimed happily. 

            "Should we applaud?"

            "Shut up Tersa." The rest of the fellowship said as they started off through the tunnel. 

Whoooo!!! Another chapter done, if all of my reviewers haven't abandoned me… *Sweatdrop* Pwease pwease come back and review! And for all you Boromir fans, I know I'm being rather mean to him, but this story needs some comic relief! Pwease don't hurt me! *Puts hands over head to hide from all the heavy objects being thrown at her by Boromir fans*


	21. Chapter 21: Moria Part II

Angel

Chapter 21: Moria, Part II

Authoress' Notes: YAY! I'M UP TO A HUNDRED REVIEWS!!! Now if only I could get more of my reviewers to come back… *Sweatdrop* Anyway, special surprise for you people this chapter… did you ever wonder what if someone had saved Gandalf before he fell? :D

            "Gandalf, where are we?" Tersa whispered, into the ominous dark that had recently engulfed them in the small, cramped tunnel starting to scare her a bit. 

            "You will find out soon Tersa, it is just up ahead." Gandalf said.

            "Fear not little hobbit! We shall receive a grand welcome from Balin!" Gimli said optimistically. "You may not know much about the dwarves, but we are not called 'craftsmen of the mountain halls' for simply digging into rock." He added as they came into a wide opening, with a great many stone pillars and high ceiling. 

            "And with that, I give you the Dwarven city of Dwarrowdelf!" Gandalf exclaimed, letting the crystal in his staff shine a bit brighter so they could see a bit more of the cavernous hall around them. 

            "It's amazing." Tersa breathed, looking around. 

            Suddenly Gimli let out a choked sound and started running for the room a few meters in front of them. 

            When the rest of the fellowship caught up with him, they saw what had him so upset. 

            "Balin Son of  Fundin, Lord of Moria." Gandalf read sadly from atop the stone crypt. He then took a large book from one of the many skeletons lying on the floor and read a bit from it, but was soon interrupted by a certain skeleton crashing down a well. Only this time, it was both Tersa and Pippin's fault. 

            "Fool of a Took, both of you!" Gandalf snapped, taking his staff back from Pippin. "Throw yourselves in next-" 

            Bom. 

            The fellowship stared around at each other in horror.  

            There was a moment of silence, then the drums started beating as loudly and as quickly as possible. 

            "BAR THE DOOR!" Aragorn shouted. 

            "Draw your swords." Gandalf ordered calmly, speaking to the hobbits that had gathered behind him. 

            Soon the battle started, and even Tersa managed to kill at least one of the orcs, and wound several others. However, soon the battle was over, but while everyone else was spazzing out over Frodo being nearly skewered by a cave troll, Tersa ran over to see if Pippin was still alive, as he had just gotten thrown halfway across the room by a cave troll. However, they both managed to limp over to where Frodo was as soon as he opened his eyes again and showed everyone the mithril shirt he had on under his regular shirt. 

            "And we limped over here for nothing, you're perfectly fine!" Tersa sighed. "Stop scaring us like that you dratted lunatic!"

            "Oh shut up." Frodo said, getting to his feet.

            They then ran out to find their way to the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, were met by more orc friends, but ran as soon as they saw their orc friends running, because whenever orcs are scared of something, you probably should be too. They then started down the gigantic stairs, which I'm not going to go into detail on because you all already know what happens. Anyway, they all managed to fight their way to the bridge, but were met by a very unfriendly Balrog. 

            "GANDALF YOU IDIOT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Tersa screamed from the far side of the bridge as Gandalf turned to face the Balrog, fighting against Aragorn's strong hold on her pack. Gandalf just ignored her and continued with his speech/incantation. 

            "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" He ended, then slammed his staff down onto the bridge so that it cracked and broke beneath the Balrog. Just as he turned around…

            "LOOK OUT!" Tersa shrieked, seeing the beginnings of the whip coming up through the darkness, then broke free of Aragorn's hold by letting her pack fall off her shoulders too the ground, then ran over to Gandalf and yanked him backwards just in time for the Balrog's whip to barely wrap around the tip of Gandalf's foot, in which case she kicked at the fiery whip until it let go, burning the bottom of her foot. When she stopped panting from fright and came back to her senses, she heard a number of cheers and whoops coming from behind her. 

            "GO TERSA!" Merry yelled over Legolas's cheering in elvish behind him. 

            "Fool of a Took." Gandalf said from behind her, shaking his head. "You will get yourself killed one of these days." 

            "I'll die eventually." Tersa said woozily with a shrug, and fainted. 

The next chapter will be posted soon, I'm not going to leave you hanging like this for long!


	22. Chapter 22: Lothlorien

 Angel 

Chapter 22: Lothlórien

Authoress' Notes: Okay, this chapter is more by the book simply because I don't want to run to my DVD player every five minutes then click through scene selections forever to find what I want. REVIEWERS COME BAAAAAAACKKKK!!!!! *sniffle sniffle* (u.u)

            When Tersa next woke up, she was out in the fresh air again, but she ended up getting a nasty shock when she found she was sitting in the top of a tree, at night no less. However her yelp of fright did some good, as it let the rest of the fellowship know she was awake and gave Haldir, Orophin, and Rúmil a laugh. 

            "Nice to see you're awake!" Pippin grinned. "We were just about to eat, you have good timing."

            "Why the bloody am I in a bloody tree!?!?!?!?!?!!!"

            "That is my fault, lady halfling." Haldir said. "You are in a talan, or flet as you may know it."

            "It's a platform up a tree to keep us from being killed on the ground!" Merry added cheerfully, munching away on some bread. "We get to fall to our deaths instead of being attacked and decapitated!"

            "Thank you for the enlightenment Merry." Tersa said, rolling her eyes. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. "We all made it out of Moria alive I'm guessing?"

            "Yesh." Frodo said from the dark corner he was curled up in, half asleep. "Go bother Sam for details, he's the one that's been worrying about you this whole time." He added with a yawn and went back to sleep.

            "Hm. Where is Sam anyway?" Tersa asked, looking around.

            "I'm here." Sam said with a little wave, not two feet away from her. 

            "Oh! Sorry Sam, it's so dim I can't see much of anything except what's near the lantern." Tersa said. "How long have I been asleep?"

            "A few days." Sam answered 

            "WHAT? How did I get here then?" Tersa asked.

            "Legolas was stuck carrying you most of the way." Merry laughed. "He says he's paid off his debt to you for saving Gandalf in full."

            "Hee. I'll have to thank him." Tersa grinned. "In the mean time, are there any other blankets over there and if there are, may I borrow one please?"

            "I'm afraid not, the other two that were in this talan are currently in use. I'm sorry." Haldir shrugged guiltily. "I did not know I would have seven people staying here tonight instead of the usual three, Rúmil and Orophin, my brothers, and myself."

            "Eh, it's alright." Tersa said, yawning. "Where's the rest of the fellowship?"

            "In another talan. Just go to sleep Ters." Sam said. 

            "I need a pillow you know." Tersa said, looking off into the trees. 

            Had Sam been an anime character he would have sweatdropped. "Fine, come use my shoulder as a pillow again if you want to." He sighed, blushing because of Merry and Pippin's attempts to keep from laughing that were NOT succeeding.. 

            "Hey! Shaddap over there!" Tersa said, throwing a nearby piece of wood at Pippin and Merry. 

            After Merry and Pippin managed to calm down, Tersa scooted over to where Sam was, laid her head on his shoulder, and fell asleep.

            "Don't ask, it's along story." Merry said when he saw Haldir's puzzled expression. "Just don't ask."

            After quite a bit of walking, some of it blindfolded, they finally reached Galadhrim, the city in Lothlórien where they met Galadriel and Celeborn. After their welcome and getting very, very, paranoid from Galadriel whispering into their minds, they were herded off to where they'd be sleeping. 

            "That was just creepy…" Tersa muttered to herself, taking off her vest and laying it on the bed. 

            "What was?" Merry asked. 

            "You mean she didn't hiss into your mind while she was talking?" Tersa said, confused. "So why did she-?"

            "You will know in time." Legolas said as he walked past. 

            "Well, I'd like to know now!" Tersa replied impatiently. 

            "You will know in time." Gandalf said. 

            "Well, it was creepy! Gah…" Tersa fell backwards onto her bed with a sigh. "Between Balrogs and weird elven queens I'm surprised I'm not insane."

            "I would not suggest you insult Lady Galadriel while you are in this place. You are may end up paying for your words." Aragorn said. 

            "I wasn't insulting her, being called weird by me is a complement." Tersa answered, looking up at the canopy over her bed. 'I wonder what other strange things will happen while we're here…'

            That night she got her answer.


	23. Chapter 23: The Death of Gandalf and the...

Angel Chapter 23: Death of Gandalf and the Great River  
  
Author's Note: And so I return, after many a month (8... eeeeek!!!!) of not  
posting because of multiple reasons, mostly because of the fact that it just wasn't high on my priorities list. To all of you that are my old fans...  
bless you for staying with me all this time. And to Dersi, Cavca, Irish Bug/Pip, Meha, and anyone else I left out that actually wants to see this new chapter... here it is, my present to you. I will try my hardest to start  
posting (Semi) regularly again, but school often gets in the way. ^^;;;  
Here it is, chapter 23...  
  
Tersa awoke to the sounds of mourning. 'Who could have died?' She thought, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "What has happened?" She asked aloud.  
"The Grey Pilgrim is dead." Said Legolas, standing a few feet away. "Aragorn and I discovered him this morning." He bowed his head and walked away.  
Tersa just stared in shock. Dead?! How could Gandalf, whom had been around seemingly forever, just die during the night like a mortal suffering from old age? "He cannot be dead!" She fell back upon her bedding her throat tightening. "He cannot! Who will lead us? How could Gandalf, of all people, die?!"  
'There are greater forces at work here than meets the eye.' A familiarly unearthly voice answered her internally, reverberating off the walls of Tersa's mind.  
Tersa immediately looked around for the source of the voice, and saw Lady Galadriel standing by where Tersa had last seen Gandalf, seemingly asleep, last night.  
Galadriel looked at Tersa as if she was looking through her, examining all the inner workings of her soul. 'Gandalf the Grey was destined to die this day, and though you interfered, you cannot change the Valar's plan. There is still much to do in this tale, fear not.' 'How can you say that... Gandalf is dead! We are leaderless!' Tersa thought, though she received no response other than a small, wise smile from Galadriel from across the clearing. Galadriel and the other elves that had been circled around Gandalf's bed soon left, taking his body with them, leaving the remaining fellowship members to mourn in silence. The only sound came from the hobbits soft crying; Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas and Gimli said and did nothing, lost within.  
  
The Fellowship's remaining days in Lothlorien were laced with sadness, though they were able to rest and recover their strength for the next part of their quest. Upon their last day in the Golden Wood, they were given gifts of cloaks and lembas by the elves, and all personally received gifts from Galadriel herself as well. Now however, they were rowing down the Great River, though Tersa's mind was still back in Lothorien with the elves.  
  
Tersa stood near the end of the line, beside Merry and Pippin, twitching nervously as Galadriel approached her. "And what gift would you ask of me, young hobbit, Tersa Took of the Shire?" Galadriel said, stopping and standing in front of Tersa. "I would ask nothing of you, Lady Galadriel. I feel I am of no service to the fellowship, or that I was even meant to be with them this far. But thank you for your kind offer." Tersa said politely, bowing. "There is but one thing I wish, and I do not believe you could grant it to me." Galadriel smiled. "I know what you wish, but you are correct, I cannot open eyes that have trained themselves to blindness." She gave Tersa a small dagger, with blue jewels in the hilt. "Protect yourself and those you love."  
  
"Tersa? Are you all right?" Sam asked concernedly. "Hm?" Tersa answered, snapping out of her trance. "Are you all right?" Sam repeated. "You've been staring at the water for a long while, and you have hardly blinked." "I'm fine Sam. How's Frodo?" Tersa looked over at the ring bearer, whom was seemingly asleep. "He hasn't said anything for nearly an hour now, so I suppose he is asleep." Sam shrugged, but worry was in his voice. "I hope he is. Soon we will be trudging along for miles again with no time for sleep."  
"There will be time for sleep, just not much." Aragorn commented from the front of the boat where he sat, rowing. "But only the Valar truly knows what lies ahead for our Fellowship."  
  
That night the Fellowship reached Amon Hen, and after tugging their boats ashore, set up camp and met so that Aragorn could give instructions.  
"We shall cross the river under cover of darkness and make our way to Mordor that way." Aragorn said. "We will have less chance of being detected if we move during the night."  
"But orcs are still patroling the shores at night!. What if we are caught or attacked?" Tersa asked.  
"We will deal with that when it happens." Aragorn answered.  
"But shouldn't Frodo have some say in which way we go, if there are other ways?" Tersa asked, not relishing the thought of being caught and killed by a band of orcs in the dark. "Where is he?" She looked around, but did not see any trace of Frodo, save his pack.  
"Frodo!" Aragorn called into the trees, but received no reply. "We must look for him. You hobbits stay together. Legolas, Gimli, follow me. Boromir is missing also, but right now concentrate on finding Frodo." Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli dashed off into the woods.  
"Let's split up." Pippin suggested. "Merry and I will go one way and look for him, and Tersa, you and Sam go the other way."  
"Good idea." Tersa agreed.  
And so the four hobbits then split up, running through the woods and calling Frodo's name. Sam and Tersa were a few meters from the camp whenever Sam suddenly stopped.  
"What are you stopped for?!" Tersa exclaimed. "We need to find Frodo!"  
"Tersa Mr. Frodo is going to go off alone!" Sam said, turning back towards camp. "He's going to try to go to Mordor alone! He'll be killed for certain!"  
"How do you know he's not lying out here unconscious Sam?! There is so much ground to cover he could be anywhere!" Tersa said, gesturing to the surrounding trees.  
"You can keep looking then, but I'm going back." Sam replied, then started running back to the campsite.  
After a moment Tersa started to follow but ran into a slight problem.  
  
Namely, an Uruk-hai.  
  
Yes, torturously short, I know, but I'm just getting back into the writing loop, so I apologize for that. And the Two Towers is fast approaching, so I  
want your opinion my readers, should I start posting Two Towers in an entirely different fic, or keep adding chapters to this one? This affects  
you more than me, so please give me some input. ^^; 


	24. Chapter 24: The Breaking of the Fellowsh...

Angel  
  
Chapter 24: The Breaking of the Fellowship  
  
Author's Notes: YAY! The wait has been shortened from eight months to one! I'll try to reduce that number into weeks. ^^;;; Thank you to everyone who  
is reading. Much appreciated, cookies for all! *Tosses cookies to all  
readers* Enjoy!  
  
"SAM HEL-" Tersa started to shout, but was cut off by the Uruk-hai attempting to pick her up and carry her off. She ducked and jumped to the side, narrowly escaping being captured. "SAM HELP!" Tersa cried, taking out her sword.  
But Sam did not hear her, all of his senses were focused on finding his master. Tersa cursed, tears pricking her eyes. 'He *left* me-!' The Uruk behind her growled and took a swipe at her, cutting her cheek with his filthy nails, sharpened into points. He then picked her up roughly and ran back towards the battle taking place on the hilltop.  
'Goodbye Sam... I hope you find Frodo alive... You may not find me as such at the end of this...'  
  
Aragorn squinted down the hillside as the wave of attacking Uruk-hai paused. He saw what looked like an Uruk carrying a small child over his shoulder, but with large furry feet. "Legolas! At the foot! One of the hobbits has been captured!"  
Legolas nodded and took aim. He hit the Uruk solidly between his ribs, and he fell, flinging the small creature he was holding to the ground.  
The hobbit got up, holding its head, then came to its senses and began to run as the next wash of Uruks came over the crest of the hill.  
Aragorn pried his eyes away from the small figure, turning to block a downward blow from an Uruk's sword. 'Run Tersa, find your friends. I sense we will no longer have a fellowship after this.'  
  
Tersa ran blindly, wiping sticky blood from her cheek as she ran. "Merry! Pip! Sam! Frodo! Anyone!" She cried, crumpling to the ground in a heap after the sounds of death and battle had faded to a dull roar. She buried her face in her hands and curled up in a ball in the leaves, her head throbbing from where she hit it on a rock when the Uruk fell, leaving a bloody gash on her forehead. Everything began to go hazy, and she fell unconscious as the battle raged around her.  
  
"Pip you must be hearing things! Tersa's nowhere around here!" Merry called over his shoulder, scanning the surrounding trees.  
"Heard her! Just after we distracted the Uruk-hai so Frodo could run!" Pippin squinted, combing the trees for some sign of Tersa. 'Tersa come on! Yell something so I can find you!' He thought desperately.  
"You were hearing things Pip! Those Uruks or orcs or whatever you want to call them are only a few sprints behind us! Come on!" Merry shouted, then ran off towards Boromir, a few meters away surrounded by Uruks. "Boromir needs our help!"  
Pippin took one last look, then ran off after Merry towards the horn of Gondor, only to be picked up and captured as they rushed to Boromir as he fell.  
  
Aragorn, Legolas and Gimili arrived at camp after the battle and the death of Boromir, only to find one of the boats missing and Tersa still nowhere in sight.  
"Frodo and Sam have left, Pippin and Merry have been captured, Boromir has perished and Tersa is missing. This just keeps getting better!" Gimli snorted, watching Sam and Frodo scurry up the opposite bank and disappear from view.  
"There is no time to stew Gimli. We must go after Sam and Frodo!" Legolas said, starting towards the boats.  
Aragorn shook his head. "We must leave Sam and Frodo to make the journey alone. We cannot aid them anymore than we already have."  
"But what about young Tersa?! We cannot leave her alone out here." Legolas exclaimed, gesturing towards the trees. "She will never survive!"  
"We must leave her. We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death." Aragorn said. "We leave as soon as we send Boromir to rest down the river."  
Gimli gaped at him. "Surely you don't mean we will leave her alone here without even looking for her."  
"I have seen no sign of her, Master Dwarf, and I do not think I will. My heart tells me that she is not dead, but we cannot wait to find out. Hurry, there is no time to spare." Aragorn instructed, beginning to load Boromir's possessions into one of the boats. "We will leave a boat here, for Tersa. She will follow those dearest to her, and they are across the river."  
  
~*~  
  
When Tersa awoke the first thing she felt was cold. She opened her eyes to blackness, and immediately felt a jolt of fear. "Sam-!" She cried aloud, bolting upright, much to the protest of her aching head. She slowly laid down again, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. 'I'm all alone... I must have been unconscious for hours...Is everyone gone?' After a few minutes she slowly sat up again, and looked around. There was no sign of anyone, except a small light coming from the direction she thought the campsite had been. Aching and hungry, her body began to drag itself towards the cheerful light before her mind could stop it.  
  
When she finally realized what was happening, she forced herself to stop at the edge of the clearing, instead of rushing towards the welcoming light of the fire. A few orcs sat around the fire, speaking in their own language.  
'So much for the hope of finding anyone I know, or just anyone who won't try to kill me.' Tersa thought. 'If this isn't where camp was, where- ?' She stopped short, seeing her pack, half hidden by the woods, just a few feet from her. Either the orcs had not noticed it was there, or they simply didn't care. She crept toward it, and managed to pick it up without being noticed. She was just about to start back into the woods when she heard one of the orcs speak in common tongue.  
"Fine, fool, here's common tongue, can you understand me now?!" He hit a nearby orc over the head. "As I was sayin', I heard two of them little runts that the Uruks want got past your patrols." The orc he hit earlier snarled.  
"It wasn't our fault. One of yer boys was supposed to be watching that bit of shore."  
"Headquarters will have you chopped up into warg food." another orc laughed cruelly. "Doesn't matter. The runts won't last two days. Besides, their friends left 'em. I saw the boats down river, washed up."  
Tersa felt a faint glimmer of hope. Maybe she could get across the river! She snuck off as the orcs got into an argument, then made her way to the riverbank. She walked along a while, and finally tripped over one of the boats the orcs had spoke of. She attempted to push it into the water, but it seemed caught on something. She saw a faint glimmer in the moonlight connecting the boat to a tree. The rope had not been tied there, but it was caught on a particularly sharp branch.  
After a few tries, Tersa managed to tug the rope free, but then began thinking. It was still dark, and what would happen if she accidentally rowed off a waterfall? Was it better to sleep and wait until light?  
"I should wait until light... but Sam..." Tersa mumbled looking across the river. "Then he'll be even farther away."  
'He left you, remember?' Snapped a little voice in her mind. 'Just abandoned you. Go ahead, row out into the middle of the river and drown yourself. He'll never know.'  
'He just didn't hear me. It wasn't intentional.' Tersa assured herself, starting to pull the boat into the water. 'He wouldn't abandon me on purpose...'  
  
Suddenly she stopped.  
  
'...Would he?'  
  
Tersa shook her head, trying to shake the doubt from her mind. Her Sam wouldn't leave her on purpose. She knew it.  
'You refer to him as yours when you know he isn't. If he's anyone's, he's Rosie's and you know it.' The voice said, causing tears to prick the corners of Tersa's eyes. 'So curl up and go to sleep. You'll wake up in your bed and this will all be a dream, if you believe Sam is yours. That's the biggest lie as was ever told.'  
  
~*~  
  
"And here we are, outside the most evil place in all the Middle Earth, and you are not worried about a thing." Frodo said, looking over at Sam, whom was gazing into the small fire in front of them.  
"Hm? I'm sorry Mr. Frodo, I didn't hear you." Sam said, startled out of his thoughts.  
Frodo just laughed. "What you thinking about Sam?"  
"Tersa... I thought I heard her calling me when I started back to find you, but when I turned around she was gone." Sam sighed, looking back towards the river. "I hope nothing has happened to her."  
"She's fine Sam. Aragorn will take care of her." Frodo said, putting a hand on Sam's shoulder comfortingly. "Besides, she'll find you soon enough."  
"How do you reckon that Mr. Frodo?"  
"Short of the Dark Lord himself, I can't think of anything that can keep her away from you." Frodo grinned, then curled up and went to sleep. 


	25. Chapter 25: Somebody For Someone

Angel  
  
Chapter 25: Somebody For Someone  
  
Author's Notes: Yoohulloo all loyal (and new) readers! The title of this chapter is actually the name of the song was listening to as I wrote the last part of this fic from. Let me say this now, so I won't be locked up: I  
do not own the song Somebody For Someone, it's title, or lyrics. They belong to the Corrs, who are truly an awesome group and I also do not own LOTR as you all know (aren't disclaimers fun?). And a note to reviewers: I've seen this done before in multiple fics, so I've decided to try it: I'm going to respond to your reviews on the previous chapters at the end of the  
new chapters! And as for this idea... You guessed it! I don't own it.  
  
Tersa awoke at dawn the next day, but the heavy feeling on her heart  
had not gone away.  
"If I stay here, I'll probably wander until I starve or am captured..." Tersa said aloud to herself. "...But if I go to try and find Sam, the same thing could happen..."  
After a moment, she sighed. "Onward to Mordor you pathetic romantic. It's better than dying here." She pushed the gray boat into the water.  
She managed to paddle across the river without drifting too much, and reached the other bank without mishap. She shouldered her pack then looked up at the mountains bordering Mordor. "The one place in Middle Earth I don't want to see any closer, and it's the one place I'm trying to get to. And to find Sam and angst boy no less... "She laughed, then started towards the mountains.  
  
"We really shouldn't leave this here for someone to follow us down." Frodo Said looking up at the elvish rope dangling from the cliff.  
"Who is going to follow us down here Mr. Frodo?"  
"HOY! A ROPE! I'M SAVED!" Sam and Frodo looked at each other wide eyed. "TERSA?!"  
"'Allo!" Tersa waved from the cliff top. "It's lucky you people go in circles so much, or I never would have caught up." She held a handkerchief between her hands and slid down the rope. "You'd think it would be simple. See a mountain, walk towards it until you get there, but not for you two!"  
"You came all the way to Mordor just to insult us. Thank you Tersa." Frodo glared.  
"I don't mean anything by it Frodo, and you know it. Calm down." Tersa raised an eyebrow at the ring bearer.  
"Calm down!? We are in the middle of a quest that the fate of the Middle Earth depends on and you say CALM DOWN!!??!?!?!" Frodo shouted. "HAVE YOU GONE MAD?!"  
"No but apparently you have. Here, have a handkerchief." Tersa stuck set her handkerchief on Frodo's head so it hung in his eyes as he started to say something else. "Now, How are we going to get this rope down?"  
"Yes, we can't have anyone else following us. Especially none as loud as you." Frodo muttered as Tersa started yanking on the rope.  
"Come off you little bugger!" She grumbled, starting to tug harder.  
"Tersa its no use. I tied that to that tree stump up there, it won't come free unless I untie it." Sam said, and no sooner had he spoken, the elvish rope fell down at Tersa's feet.  
"As you were saying?" Tersa grinned, starting to coil the rope up.  
Frodo sighed. "You just have to follow Sam where ever he goes don't you?"  
"Shh!" Tersa hissed, blushing. She glared at Frodo. "Just for that, you get to hold this." She put the coil of rope around Frodo's neck. "There. Very stylish."  
"I'm sure." Frodo replied with a slight smirk, taking the rope off his neck and handing it to Sam. "Well, if we can't get rid of you, we will just have to continue. In your words Ters, 'onward!'"  
As they started off, Sam walked beside Tersa a few steps behind Frodo. "Thank you Tersa."  
"For what?" Tersa asked. "I didn't do anything."  
"You managed to get Frodo to be at least slightly happy for a few moments. He's been nothing but depressed for two days." Sam sighed. "Not that I blame him."  
"What are we blaming on me?" Frodo asked, looking over his shoulder.  
"Nothing' Mr. Frodo..." Sam said quickly, looking down at the ground.  
"Discussing how depressed and high strung you are of late, that's all." Tersa shrugged, looking at the sky. "Frodo, was the sun always faded like this or is it just because we're here?"  
"I think it is just another part of being in Mordor. Any light is smothered and darkness flourishes." Frodo looked toward Mount Doom, his face expressionless and his eyes distant. "Even within."  
"What a cheerful note." Tersa muttered, returning her gaze to the sky.  
The three walked in silence for the rest of the day, and barely spoke for two days after that. However, the silence would not last for much longer.  
"What the-!?"  
"Get down and pretend you're asleep!" Frodo whispered, tugging Tersa down onto the ground. "Shh!"  
Tersa nodded and closed her eyes. She suddenly heard a hissing above them, coming nearer with each word.  
"Where is it? Where preciousss? Does the longhaired one have it? Or the other onessss? They stole it from us, they took you precious, and we wants you!"  
Sam and Frodo suddenly sprang up and yanked the creature off of the rocks with a cry. Tersa got up, looking around for something to help Sam and Frodo subdue whatever the thing was that seemed intent on getting the ring away from Frodo. Suddenly she spotted Sam's pack and an idea came to her.  
"Give it to usssssssssssss-!" It hissed, attempting to get the ring and choke Frodo in the process.  
"No!"  
"Sssss-!"  
BONG!  
Suddenly the creature fell over, and Tersa was standing in his place, holding a frying pan.  
"Thanks Ters." Frodo gasped, sitting up, trying to catch his breath from nearly being choked.  
Tersa shrugged. "It worked in Moria for Sam."  
"You're crazy Tersa." Sam laughed. "Oh well, it worked. Mr. Frodo what is this thing?"  
"Its Gollum. He's been following us for weeks now, and he has been watching us for nearly that long." Frodo nudged the gangly creature with his foot, turning it over. "He wants the ring."  
"Bleh. It looks like a scary over sized frog." Tersa wrinkled her nose and hid behind Sam so she could peer over his shoulder, as if Gollum would attack her at any moment. "Gollum you said? From Bilbo's stories?"  
"Yes. As far as I know there are not two of them." Frodo shrugged, and suddenly Gollum hissed and sat up, holding his head.  
"What hits us precioussssss? Who is these thingsss? Ah yes, nasssty hobbitses." Gollum glared at Tersa. "You is the one that hits us!!!! You hurt us, precious!"  
"I'm not your precious." Tersa growled at Gollum, then stepped out from behind Sam swung the frying pan at Gollum again. However, he managed to avoid it cowered near Frodo's feet.  
"Don't hurts us, don't let them precious... We is sorry, we is..." He stared hungrily at the chain around Frodo's neck where the ring hung. He reached towards it. "We jussst wants precious...."  
Frodo quickly leapt backwards, drawing out the ring and clenching it in his fist. "Don't touch me! It's mine!" He suddenly squeezed his eyes shut, and held his head. 'What is happening to me...?' He thought, his mind racing. The strange feeling soon passed however, and he opened his eyes to find Sam fastening the elvish rope around Gollum's neck, much to Gollum's dismay.  
"Let usss go! Don't tie us up!"  
"Oh be quiet you. If we don't you'll strangle Frodo for that bloody ring." Tersa narrowed her eyes at Gollum then looked over to Frodo, who was rather pale. "Frodo? Are you all right? He didn't hurt you did he? I have the frying pan still."  
"No Tersa, I'm fine. Let's get moving." Frodo said weakly.  
"The sun is setting Mr. Frodo. Shouldn't we stop for the night?" Sam asked, looking concernedly at Frodo.  
"Oh- I'm sorry, I have a head ache. Let's stop for the night, you're right." Frodo collapsed into a sitting position on the ground, holding his head. "I'll be fine Sam, don't look at me like I'm going to die." He smiled weakly. "I just need some sleep."  
"Sleep then Frodo. We'll keep a look out for any more ugly frogs like this one." Tersa jerked her head towards Gollum. "We'll just tie this one to a rock or something."  
Frodo nodded, and barely had a chance to curl up before he went to sleep.  
"You can sleep too Sam, you have dark rings under your eyes." Tersa smiled. "I can watch the irritating frog."  
"No, I don't want to leave you alone with him." Sam shot a distrustful glance at Gollum, whom glared back. "He would probably try and throttle us in our sleep if I don't stay up."  
"Hm. True. But there is one bright spot in staying up." Tersa responded, looking up at the sky. "You get to look at the stars. They still shine, even if the sun is dulled. I always liked the stars and moon better than the sun."  
"I'm the opposite, I like the sun better than the moon. Everything seems so, well, dark after the sun goes down. Even the friendliest animal can seem menacing in the dark." Sam said, tying Gollum's makeshift leash to a nearby rock and sitting down beside his handy work. He gazed up at the sky. "The stars are pretty though, I must admit."  
"Yes they are." Tersa sighed, sitting down beside Sam. "They remind me of home... I have been homesick since we left. Even Lothlórien didn't really comfort me."  
"I was not so much comforted as I forgot how homesick I was." Sam looked over at Tersa, whom was still gazing at the sky. "Even with all we have gone through you still have a glitter in your eyes, like you have one of those stars in your eyes."  
Tersa blushed. "Thanks Sam. I don't know how that is still possible, because my heart hurts more than ever. I don't see what they have left to glitter about."  
"Why does your heart hurt?"  
Tersa looked over at him sadly. 'Because I love you and you don't love me, you dope.' She sighed. "Never mind Sam, I'm just being selfish. I'm going to sleep, will you be all right without me?"  
"Sure I suppose..." Sam said, more to himself than Tersa as he watched her walk off towards her pack to retrieve something, then walk over to the rock wall and lay down. 'You know exactly why her heart hurts you fool, Samwise. She has followed you hundreds of miles simply because she loves you and you don't love her back. You simply do not.'  
'Or are you just denying that you're beginning to?'  
Sam sighed and looked over at Tersa. She was asleep against the wall a few feet from Frodo, with a small bundle under her head as a pillow. 'My cloak.' He realized with a smile. 'Of all the things to keep with her for this long...' He shook his head. 'Maybe I am denying it. For her sake, I hope I am. Without some spark of happiness out here, she'll surely die. I am already losing Frodo- I can't bear to lose her too.'  
  
Responses: *Sniffles* There's only one from chapter 24, so I'll respond to 23's reviews also.  
  
AnnabelleOdd: YAY! Still existing is very good. ^-^ High school is demonic, ne?  
  
Chapter 23:  
  
Lindsey: I'm glad you like it. ^^ I think that sometimes it has a little too much voice, but that's the only way I can really write, so this will just have to do. ^-^;;;  
  
EJ Kridom: I'm going to keep my fic all in one place until the very end (unless there is a limit to how many chapters you can have in one fic *Sweatdrop*), don't worry. Cavca: I have a bad habit of taking forever to update don't I? ^^;;; I feel sorry for Dalfy too; I save him just to kill him again. Eh well, at least died slightly more peacefully than he did in the books. ^^;;  
  
Wheee! Responding to reviews is fun. ^^ If you guys like it, I may have to do this more often. 


	26. Chapter 26: Lookit! Frodo’s Starting to ...

Angel

Chapter 26: Lookit! Frodo's Starting to Turn Paranoid!

Author's Notes: Yes, I know, such a kind chapter name. Eh, picking on Frodo is fun, if I didn't like him I wouldn't do it. pats Frodo on the head and he, suddenly sprouting fangs, snaps at her hand Gah! Heh heh… He hasn't had his medication today. ;;;; Anywho, thank you to my reviewers as always, you people ROCK! Also, I realize I steal some lines from the movies and the books in this fic. Again I state, I do not own them. I'm too broke to buy the rights to the script, sadly.

"What should we do with him?"

"There are lots of cliffs around. We could just pitch him off one."

"Tersa!"

"Calm down Frodo, only joking… hey, where did the frog go anyway?" Tersa looked around. She soon spotted Gollum lying on the ground tugging at his leash and hissing.

"Nassssty hobbitses! They puts horrible elf ropes around us, precious, let us go!" Gollum rubbed his bony hands as if they stung. "It hurts usss…_gollum_…"

"Will you be quiet? 'Onestly. We can't let you off your rope because you will probably try to kill us again." Sam said, and afterwards Gollum shot him a venomous look.

"I don't think he'll try to kill us Sam." Frodo looked pityingly at Gollum, whom was crying to himself about his restraints again. "We should at least take the rope off of his neck, it seems to be hurting him."

"Oh no, I know that look. Frodo, this is not a cute little baby bird, or a kitten, or even an animal! This is something that tried to KILL us." Tersa exclaimed. "You want to let him out of his restraints so he can strangle you again?! I'm beginning to wonder if it was you I hit with Sam's frying pan instead of him!"

"He may have tried to kill me, but he obviously is not in his right mind. He probably didn't even know what he was doing." Frodo replied.

"He's not even in his LEFT mind let alone his right!" Tersa crossed her arms stubbornly.

"She does have a point Mr. Frodo. If we do let him go, he will probably continue to follow us, if not try to get the ring a second time." Sam said, twisting the end of the elven rope in his hands.

Gollum's ears had perked up at mention of the ring and he was now staring at Frodo, a plot forming in his mind. "If we gets free now… precious is ours later. Yesss! Anything for precious." He muttered. He started to crawl towards Frodo. "We will be nice to the hobbitses if they is nice to us, _gollum_. We can get you out of here we can, we are nice."

"You can show us the way to Mordor?" Frodo asked.

"Yes! We knows, we knows it all we does." Gollum nodded quickly. "We swears we will take you to Mordor. We will! We will swear on the precious we will!"

"Mr. Frodo you are not going to trust him are you?" Sam asked.

Frodo sighed irritably. "Everyone deserves a second chance. If it will make you two feel better the moment he proves untrustworthy you can tie him up and pitch him into Mt. Doom, all right?!" He turned back to Gollum. "I will hold you to your word." Frodo removed the rope from Gollum's neck. "Lead the way."

Gollum nodded happily and loped off, motioning for the hobbits to follow him.

'For once I agree with Tersa; one of these days that thing will probably throttle us in our sleep.' Sam thought with a sigh, and then started off after Frodo and Gollum, with Tersa close behind him.

"Bleh."

"Yes, I think that about sums it up." Frodo agreed, looking down at the marshes below them. They were sitting atop the last rocky slope before the marshes, under a small overhang where they were sheltered from unwanted eyes.

"Marshes, dark lords, and mountains of fire. I can certainly see why even animals stay away from this place." Sam sighed, sitting with his back against the rock wall. "The last thing I saw was a little mouse a few days back."

"Sss…" Gollum responded, blinking his luminous eyes. "We isss hungry. We will be back." He started down the slope.

"Where on earth are you going? There can't be anything edible for miles." Tersa said, walking over to Sam and sitting down beside him.

"You must know how to find eatables, precious. We knows." Gollum explained, slinking off.

Tersa shook her head as Frodo joined them. "Strange creature. Oh well. At least the stars will be out soon." She looked up at the fading sky. "I wish I could be up there, a part of such a beautiful thing." She sighed and reached into her pack without thinking, pulling out Sam's folded cloak and hugging it. "It always makes me so lonely… Reminds me how small and insignificant we all are."

"No one is really insignificant Tersa. Everyone has something they were meant to do." Sam said, giving Tersa a comforting smile. "After all Ters, here we are."

"If destroying a ring of power is significant, that is." Frodo added.

"I suppose it is, isn't it." Tersa said, smiling weakly.

"Eh. It's significant only if we succeed I suppose. Wake me when we are ready to go through the marshes." Frodo yawned, laying down and wrapping his cloak around himself for warmth.

Tersa and Sam sat in silence for a while, gazing up at the sky, and Sam's cloak still in Tersa's arms. However, Tersa eventually realized what she was holding and blushed a bright red. She quickly tossed Sam his cloak, trying to act casual. "You can have that back, I don't need it anymore."

"You can keep it." Sam said, handing it back to her. "I don't exactly need it either."

Tersa looked up, meeting Sam's eyes. There was no mockery in his gaze, only a bit of amusement and something else she couldn't identify. 'His eyes are such a lovely shade of brown.' She thought with a love struck sigh. She could gaze into them forever…

'Stop hoping…' She thought bitterly, tears welling in her eyes as she forced herself to look away from him. 'Not only is he five years older than you and has his heart set on Rosie Cotton, this isn't the time nor the place for this. You should be more concerned about Frodo and the Ring, not about how much you adore Sam.'

"Tersa? What's wrong?" Sam asked, brushing a tear off Tersa's cheek gently. "You're crying."

"Nothing." Tersa said quickly, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

"I've known you long enough to know that you never cry unless you are hurt quite a bit. Even if you won't tell me, can I help at all?"

"You could stop worshiping that wench Rosie and fancy _me_." Tersa looked up to see Sam giving her an odd look and immediately covered her face with her hands. 'I said that out loud.' "Sam I'm sorry… Please forget what I said, I wouldn't deserve you even if I could-" She picked up Sam's folded cloak and buried her face in it, rambling inaudibly until to her surprise she felt Sam's arms around her.

As Frodo sat back observing this entire scene he couldn't help but smile. 'A spot of light in the darkness once again, it almost makes me glad I can't get to sleep. I would have missed all this. '

_'Yes, a fine pair. Especially when they go off together and leave you to die alone.'_

A hint of jealousy snaked into Frodo's mind and he shook his head to try to rid himself of it. 'What am I thinking? Sam and Tersa would never do that to me…'

_'Only because they would rather not die because I wasn't destroyed. As soon as I'm gone they will leave you. Alone to your misery and torment.'_

Frodo glared down at the chain around his neck. 'I knew it. Stop influencing my thoughts you wretched thing.'

_'I will, for now…But remember what I said. As long as I'm here your friends will still be with you. Get rid of me and you get rid of them too.'_

Frodo looked longingly at Sam and Tersa, blissfully unaware of Frodo's mental battle. 'I don't want to be alone…' Frodo blinked a few times, as clearing the mist from his eyes. 'Frodo you fool, listen to yourself. You know that everything that wretched thing around your neck tells you are a lie to try and keep itself out of Mount Doom. Listen to your heart; the ring doesn't have any influence on it. Sam and Tersa won't leave you.' He smiled again and lay back down before Sam and Tersa noticed he was awake.

Sam turned and looked over his shoulder at Frodo, thinking he heard him get up, but he was still lying on the ground as he had been before Tersa started crying. Sam shook his head and turned his attention back to Tersa, only to find that she had fallen asleep in his arms. 'You are impossible Tersa. I am doing my best to love you as much as I can, even though I don't even know _how_ I love you.' Sam brushed a lock of Tersa's hair out of her face, highlighted with silver by the moonlight. 'Tersa would never believe me if I told her, but Rosie has been the farthest thing from my mind. Every spare moment when I'm not worrying about Frodo and this quest is spent worrying about you, Tersa, and no one else.'

When Frodo awoke the next morning, he found Sam's cloak over him and Tersa asleep beside Sam. Sam still had his arm around Tersa, with Tersa's head on his shoulder. There was a smile on Tersa's face, and a wave of annoyance washed over Frodo, but he ignored it. "Frodo you fool be happy for them, or at least Tersa, the Middle Earth doesn't center around you." He said aloud.

'_Even though you're the one dragging a weight around your neck and all Tersa can do is try to take your best friend and turn him against you._' A spiteful voice added.

'If Sam was really didn't care about me anymore and was against me he wouldn't have put his cloak over me would he?' Frodo thought. He laughed, receiving no response. "I have you there don't I?"

"Sssss… Master is awake?" Gollum hissed, a few feet away. "They has been asleep forever precious, lazy hobbitses, _gollum_…"

"Yes, I suppose we need to get moving." Frodo looked at the sky, it was just a little after dawn. "I'll wake them."

Gollum nodded, hissing at the sun and scurrying down towards the marshes.

Frodo touched Sam's shoulder and shook him gently, resulting in both Tersa and Sam waking up and scooting away from each other as they saw him.

"Erm… food…" Tersa mumbled, running a hand through her hair and began looking through her pack.

Sam blushed, clasping his cloak back over his shoulders as Frodo handed it back to him, carefully avoiding looking at Frodo.

"Aren't you two going to say anything other than fragments of a sentence?" Frodo asked, laughing. "You don't have to be embarrassed."

"There's not much to say…" Tersa blushed, twisting a lock of hair around he finger, getting some lembas out of her pack and breaking off three pieces of lembas and tossing two of the three bits to Sam and Frodo.

"You two are impossible." Frodo grinned, taking a bite out of his lembas fragment. "You'll never have any children if you're not even willing to touch each other." He added a moment later, nearly causing Sam to choke.

"Quit it!" Tersa glared, tossing a pebble at Frodo as he got up, hitting him in the shoulder. "It's nothing like that! He doesn't even like me you ruddy twerp!"

"Maybe he doesn't, but its still entertaining to annoy you." Frodo smirked.

"Shut up."

"Sss, wasting time sleeping precious, slow hobbitses." Gollum said as Frodo, Sam, and Tersa walked towards him. He glared at Sam and Tersa, whom glared right back. "Time to go across the marshes." Gollum crept out onto a nearby patch of land, testing the ground with his hands and feet. "Follow usss, we knows the way."

The three hobbits looked at each other, then started after Gollum, with Frodo in front followed by Sam and Tersa. Over the course of the day only Frodo managed to fall into the marsh water, even though both Tersa and Sam came close at times.

"I have all the terrible luck." Frodo grumbled through chattering teeth, pulling Sam's spare cloak that Tersa reluctantly gave up more tightly around him.

"Whatever you do don't say it could not get any worse. It will if you say that." Tersa said, shuddering as she looked into the water at the dead faces. "I'll never be able to sleep here. Gollum, are you sure these things won't crawl out of the water and attack us?"

"Maybe they will, precious, if little hobbitses doesn't stop complaining." Gollum glared.

"Mutated Frog."

"Hssss!"

"Leave him alone Tersa. He's trying to help us."

"Or kill us."

Frodo sighed and shook his head, but said nothing.

Tersa shrugged. "Well, if he doesn't something else will."

"Ss, not with us precious. We knows safe places to hide. Nothing will hurt us, oh no."

"SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Well, so much for that theory."

Squeeeeeee! Another chapter done. Now, time to respond to reviews!

EJ Kridom: Heehehehe. I've always wanted to bash something with Sam's frying pan, and I finally got to! happy dance

Lindsey: You beg for chapters. O.o Interesting.

Cavca: Continue I have. And cuteness levels are being adjusted so that they will go to the max and still have a plot. ;;;;


	27. Chapter 27: Damn You Samwise!

Angel

Chapter 27: "Damn You Samwise!"

Author's Note: As you may notice, I leave some scenes out. If I don't think I can add to them to make the story better, I don't write them in. I just figure that you guys really wouldn't want to read through stuff you already know. ;;

> "Black Riders!"

"Stop staring in shock and hide!" Tersa said, yelling over another screech. She dragged Sam by the arm under a thorn bush. "Wait a minute, where's Frodo?!"

"He and Gollum must still be out there!" Sam said, already starting to get up.

"We have to go save Frodo at least then. Onward!"

When they found Frodo he was curled up in a ball on the ground clutching his shoulder and talking to himself.

"No- Ahgh! –They wouldn't- Not-"

"Come on Mr. Frodo, we have to get out of sight." Sam explained, picking Frodo up and carrying him back to the thorn bush where Gollum was waiting.

"Thanks for all the help out there." Tersa said softly after the Nazgul finally gave up on catching the three hobbits. She glared at Gollum. "And no thanks to you."

"Hss. You were no help either, oh no precious. The cross hobbit is the one that carried master." Gollum said, receiving a glare from Sam and a point to a frying pan from Tersa. "Ss… fine… we will not speak any longer…"

"It's fine Sméagol, it was not your fault or Tersa's. It wasn't anyone's except my own. My shoulder started to ache again and I nearly blacked out again." Frodo sat up, still holding his shoulder.

"What were you saying out there Mr. Frodo?" Sam asked. "When we found you, meaning."

"Nothing. Some nonsense the ring was trying to convince me of… that you two would leave me to die alone after the ring was destroyed… it's just trying to keep itself out of Mt. Doom…"

Sam and Tersa looked at each other guiltily for a few moments until Frodo sat up.

"We should get up… we can't stay here tonight." He looked from Sam to Tersa and back again. "And stop looking at each other like this was your fault. I'm fine." He stood up. "Lead the way Sméagol."

"Are you going to sit there and stare or talk to her?" Frodo asked, nudging Sam in Tersa's direction. It was very late when they stopped, and it was nearly completely dark, but Frodo could tell Sam was gazing over in Tersa's direction. "She did help me to get you out after you were buried in rock today. You might want to thank her."

"I looked like a fool in front of her, I'm sure she doesn't want to talk to me." Sam sighed, looking over at Tersa whom was brushing her hair with an old wooden brush. "Besides, she's been ignoring me ever since then."

"So? You know how Tersa is. She's done this to you before, just go talk to her anyway." Frodo gave Sam another nudge. "She doesn't bite. Well, she probably won't bite you, let me put it that way."

"Fine. But I wouldn't be surprised if she hit me over the head with that brush of hers." Sam muttered, getting up and walking over to where Tersa was sitting on the ground. "Tersa?"

Tersa said nothing, but started brushing her hair a bit more forcefully.

"Tersa, I'm sorry. Whatever it was I did, I'm sorry." Sam looked at Tersa, whom kept glaring straight a head with an irritated look on her face. "And thank you for helping me today. I didn't mean to-"

"Didn't mean to what? Scare me to death?!" Tersa snapped, turning and glaring at Sam. "Curse you do you know how worried about you I was today?! I was sure you would break your neck from the fall, and if not that you would be captured and killed! And THEN where would I be, I can't bloody well help Frodo to do this on my own, I don't even know if I can get myself through this horrid place!" Tersa's voice was rising with each sentence. "You just make me-! Damn you-!"

She kissed him quickly, then turned away.

"Some times I don't know if I want to kiss you or wring your neck!" She finished, then picked up her pack and moved a few feet away and lay down with a last 'Damn you Samwise' and went to sleep.

Meanwhile, Sam sat gaping after her with his mouth hanging open in shock.

"Sam?" Frodo said, moving over to where Sam was. "Sam?"

"Mngh?!"

"Sam can you say anything faintly resembling common tongue?"

"What just happened-?!"

"Apparently you made Tersa so angry that she kissed you." Frodo laughed. It was a true laugh, such as had not been heard since they entered Mordor.

"Eh?!"

"I don't know either. At least she didn't hit you with her brush."

"Nngh-?!"

"Just go to sleep Sam, maybe you will be able to talk by then."

(AN: Lindsey, I can hear your squealing from here…-)

The next morning started off as the night had begun, with Tersa ignoring Sam and Sam confused on what on earth he did to annoy her. After breakfast they started off again with Gollum leading the way, but Tersa was the first behind Gollum for a change.

"Sss…"

"Could you quit hissing?"

"Sss… Girl hobbitses so nasty to poor Sméagol, though he is so good and kind to show them the way, so mean… It is not our fault she is in a bad mood, oh no precious."

"I am not in a bad mood you dratted frog." Tersa growled.

"Of course not, we is mistaken… Girl hobbitses are just more obvious with her abuse to poor, poor Sméagol today, _gollum_. Poor abused Sméagol."

Tersa sighed. "All right all right, I'm sorry. I AM in a bad mood, but it isn't my fault." She glanced back at Sam and Frodo who were walking side by side a little ways behind her.

"Angry at the cross, rude hobbit, yes." Gollum nodded.

"Don't call him that! It's not true; you just don't get along with him! You don't even know him!" Tersa said angrily. "He isn't usually like this!"

"Sss! She is angry at the cross hobbit and still defends him, precious! And she says that we is the ones that are not in their right mind." Gollum shook his head. "We doesn't understand hobbitses."

"Oh be quiet you!" Tersa crossed her arms over her chest and blushed. "Where are you leading us anyway? The Black Gate was supposed to be the only way in to Mordor."

"We knows a dark way, a secret way. We will get the hobbitses there safe, we promises. Even the cross one." Gollum smirked over his bony shoulder at Tersa.

"Shut up."

Wooo! Another chapter done. I'm sorry that was so short. ;; But now that school is out you can expect chapters to be posted more frequently! Now, to respond to reviews!

Lindsey: Well, it wasn't a confession, but I hope it will be able to tide you over until I get to that point.

Cavca: 'Mighty Master of the Pen'? Sweatdrop I'm not sure I would go that far, but thank you. As for the paparazzi, I don't think just one person qualifies. Recruit half the Shire to stalk us, then you've got a paparazzi. Keep the fun reviews coming!

EJ Kridom: Thank you. It's fun to write those bits with Frodo and the Ring, I get to have multiple personalities for a while.

Meha: I don't have a response for you because you refuse to review! Review darn you!


	28. Chapter 28: Madness and Bruises

Angel

Chapter 28: Madness and Bruises

Authoress' Notes: As you all know, I don't own anyone but Tersa. A bit of a dark chapter in the beginning, at least for me. It really is exhausting writing for someone in Frodo's condition, though I don't really know why. Thank you to all reviewers, new and old, you all rock and are what keeps me writing. As for everyone else… Review so you become a reviewer and can be thanked! Even if it's one word, just let me know you're reading. I always love to hear from fellow readers and writers of fanfiction.

> _'Wretched girl, stealing your Sam.' _

'She isn't stealing him. He isn't mine to begin with. You make it sound like I'm in love with him like she is.' Frodo thought, looking over at Tersa whom was curled up by Sam, asleep.

_ 'No no, I didn't mean that… I just see that he's the truest friend you have, and she's slowly pulling him away from you. If Sam leaves what do you have left but me, Frodo? You cannot make the journey on your own, pathetic as you are.'_

'I'm not pathetic!' Frodo replied angrily. 'It's your fault I'm this way you vile thing! Now you're trying to turn me against Sam! Stop it!' Frodo put his hands over his ears, trying to blot the ring's horrible, hissing voice out.

'I didn't make you this way, Tersa did. It's all her fault. She's sleeping over there… you could just-'

'Don't say it! Don't say it you accursed thing! I'm not going to kill her! Not for you! I'm not going to destroy what little sanity I have left!' Frodo shook his head. 'Leave me alone!'

' 'What little sanity you have left'? You amuse me, Frodo Baggins. Deep in the pit of your soul-'

"Stop it." Frodo whispered. 'Don't listen to him Frodo, it's not true. Whatever he says-'

'You're just- 

"Stop it." Frodo said again, louder.

_ 'Like-'_

"Stop it! Leave me alone!" He repeated, louder, close to shouting. By now he was rocking back and forth, not even realizing it. "I'm not!"

'ME.'

"NO!!" Frodo cried, falling onto his side and curling into a ball.

By this time Frodo had awoken both Tersa and Sam up. The battle in his head raged on scrambled to his side.

_'You are just as wretched and twisted as I, Frodo Baggins. Just give in. Take me and rule all…get rid of that thief Tersa once and for all.'_

Frodo suddenly felt the grip on his mind slipping, as if he was trying to hang on to the edge of a pit. 'NO!' He curled into a tighter ball. 'I won't hurt her; it's not her fault! This is all the ring trying to trick me, I can't give in!'

"Mr. Frodo wake up, please!" Sam shook Frodo, trying to bring him back from wherever he was.

Suddenly Frodo's tightly closed eyes snapped open and the frightened expression on his face disappeared. His face was bleak now, hollow, like the face of a puppet.

"Sam, I don't think that's Frodo anymore. He doesn't look right." Tersa said, backing up as Frodo sat up and turned his eyes to her. "I think the ring has done something to him."

'NOOOOO!!!' Frodo screamed inwardly, losing the last hold on his mind. He could only watch now, no longer in control of his body.

Frodo let out a horrible cry, like that of a beast finally breaking free from it's bonds and lunged at Tersa, getting his hands on her throat and beginning to strangle her.

Tersa could only get out a horse squeak, Frodo's thumbs pressing into her neck. The look on his face was more horrible than she could ever imagine, a look of pure and absolute hatred. Things started to blur in and out of focus as Sam tried to wrestle Frodo away from her. She did the last thing she could. She groped for something to hit Frodo with and found a rock beside her, then picked it up and swung it as hard as she could at his head.

The blow hit its mark, impacting hard with Frodo's right temple. It knocked him out of the ring's control, leaving him lying on the ground in shock, listening to Tersa cough and pant for air beside him. Everything spun and the last thing he saw was Sam leaning over him before it went black.

"Frodo's passed out." Sam sighed, going back to Tersa. "Tersa I'm sorry…"

"I'm fine." Tersa sat up, putting a hand gingerly on her neck to cover the already forming bruise. "I'll be fine, he didn't hurt me. He didn't know what he was doing."

"I know he didn't, but I still wish it had been me and not you." Sam looked at her apologetically. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, poured a bit of water onto it from his water skin, and then handed it to Tersa. "Here. Put this on your neck. It'll help a little." __

"Thank you." Tersa smiled weakly, pressing the cloth to her neck. "Where's that frog gotten to?" She asked, attempting to change the subject.

"Out hunting still I suppose. I'm not going to worry about him." Sam brushed a few stray pieces of hair out of Tersa's face. "You and Mr. Frodo are all I need to worry about." He smiled, then added, "You are lovely, even with all that dirt and ash streaked over your face. Do you realize that?"

"Do _you_ realize that you said that out loud?" Tersa asked, looking at him disbelievingly.

"Yes. I was trying to make you feel better."

Tersa's shoulders slumped a bit. 'So it isn't true then… foolish to hope…'

"Just because I was trying to make you feel better doesn't mean I was lying. I wouldn't lie to you Ters." Sam said as Tersa's face turned sad.

"I know." Tersa looked up and smiled weakly at him, but her eyes gave away that she didn't believe him. "Your future wife is a lucky girl Samwise, that's all I have to say…"

"Tersa stop talking like that! How do you know it isn't you!?"

Tersa stopped moping and blinked at him. "What did you say?"

"I said, how do you know that who I'm going to marry isn't you?! Anything can happen between now and then." Sam said, blushing, though he was trying his best to keep his face hidden. 'She drives me crazy... Why does she always have to say things like that…' Suddenly, he heard Tersa giggling beside him. "What? What's so funny?"

"You're trying to hide your blushing. You always duck your head like that when you're embarrassed." Tersa smiled, blushing a bit herself when Sam met her gaze. "You learn a lot of things when you observe someone as long as I have… Especially when they didn't realize it for as long as you did. You learn their habits, how they look in a particular mood… but you never can still predict what they'll do next, annoying as it is, no matter what you do, or how long you-" She stopped as Sam kissed her cheek, catching her off guard.

"Don't think so much Ters. You really do tend to ramble when you're nervous. I pick up on habits too, you know." Sam smiled at her, taking some bandages out of his pack. "I'm going to go try to bandage Frodo's head up to keep it from causing any trouble later on. Go get some sleep Ters."

Tersa nodded, half in a daze, as Sam moved over to where Frodo lay, and touched her hand to cheek. She leaned back against her pack, closing her eyes and savoring the warm feeling in her chest. She felt almost drunk from happiness. 'If this was all I ever got from you, I would still be the happiest person alive.' She looked over at Sam, then curled up with his spare cloak over her and closed her eyes. 'My dear, sweet Samwise… please be mine.'

A few hours later at dawn, Frodo awoke with his head throbbing. "Sam…? Tersa…?"

Suddenly Tersa and Sam appeared in his line of vision.

"Well look who's awake." Tersa laughed. "As hard as I hit you I figured you would be unconscious for at least a couple more hours."

Frodo touched the bandages on his head as he sat up, wincing. "What happened…? Why do you have your hair tucked down in your cloak like that?"

"No reason…" Tersa said, avoiding Frodo's questioning gaze..

"What did I do?" Frodo asked. Tersa and Sam looked at each other, but remained silent. "What happened?!"

"Tried to kill the long haired one, yes precious." Gollum commented from where he was sitting a few feet away. "Tried to choke her, master did, yes."

Suddenly it all came rushing back to him. The ring's voice, the losing control, everything. "Tersa…I… I didn't mean to… I didn't have any control of it, the ring it…" Frodo looked at Tersa who just smiled and shook her head.

"You don't have to apologize Frodo. I knew that you had no control over what you did." Tersa shrugged.

"I still…your hair is covering up bruises on your neck isn't it?" Frodo asked, and Tersa hesitantly nodded. "… I tried to… kill you…"

"But you didn't, Mr. Frodo. That's the important thing. Here." Sam handed Frodo a piece of lembas, then gave a piece to Tersa.

"What about you?" Frodo asked.

"I'm not hungry." Sam shrugged half-heartedly. "Not right now anyway."

"Liar. Eat something or I won't eat anything, then I'll starve to death and die, and then I'll haunt you for the rest of your days, all because you wouldn't eat something." Tersa said, handing Sam a piece of the lembas.

Sam couldn't help but laugh. "Alright alright, have it your way." He took a bite. "See? I'll eat, you can stop glaring at me now."

"Mn." Tersa stuck out her tongue at him. "I can't have you dying on us. Frodo and I would be lost without you."

"And before you go disputing it Sam, it's true." Frodo added, as Sam opened his mouth to argue.

"If you say so Mr. Frodo."

"Yes, yes, talk hobbitses. We must go! Nassssty orcses will be after us if we do not leave! Just a little way more." Gollum moved around restlessly. "Nasty wraiths will come back, searching, always searching-!"

"Sméagol is right, we should be off." Frodo nodded tiredly, standing up and walking after Gollum as he slinked off.

Sam stood and helped Tersa up. "Is your neck any better?" He whispered as soon as Frodo was a few steps away from them.

"It hurts a little if I move a certain way, but it's fine." Tersa pulled back her hair to reveal two small bruises. "Don't worry about me. Go help Frodo, he probably is in a lot of pain from being hit with that rock."

"I will. I just wanted to check if you were better first. I do care about you, you know." Sam took Tersa's hand in his. "Come on, we're falling behind."

They soon caught up with Gollum and Frodo, but Sam didn't let go of Tersa's hand. That is how they walked the rest of the day and, for Tersa and Sam, that day the darkness seemed to lift.

Aww, wasn't that a cute way to end the chapter. Now, to respond to reviews:

Lothliana: Wooo! A new reviewer. I'm glad you like the fic, I'm trying to update as soon as possible. Hopefully there won't be more than a week or so between chapters now, since I'm getting to my favorite parts in the books.

Lindsey: hides No attacking! ;;; I'll get your confession in a bit, though there will be some evilness first.

EJ Kridom: Hehehe. Poor guy. I'd have issues talking too if one of my friends that I've known forever kissed me out of the blue.

Meha: You reviewed!!! YAY! Yes, fluffness. This fic has lots of it, ne? Review again please.


	29. Chapter 29: Captain Faramir

Angel

Chapter 29: Captain Faramir

Authoress Notes: Yoohulloo after two weeks absence due to vacationing! For all who have waited patiently, thank you. - I really wish I could have written in my favorite bits of dialogue from the Herbs and Stewed Rabbit scene in this chapter, but I thought that would be over doing it, since you have all read/seen it.. Drat, my favorite all time scene and I have to cut bits of it out. ;;; Also, when Gollum/Sméagol are arguing with each other, instead of saying 'the Gollum half' or 'the Sméagol half' I'm just going to have each one like it was another person talking. I will still refer to him as Gollum when he isn't arguing with himself, just like I always have.

"Ssss! Nassty hobbitses, they stealses our rabbits." Gollum glared over at Sam, whom was cutting up the two rabbits Gollum caught. "Always watching, he makes things hard for us, precious."

"No harder than you make it for him." Tersa commented as she walked by.

"And the long-haired one is always listening! We has no thoughts to ourselves, precious! We doesn't!" Sméagol added.

"We will get rid of them precious, we will. And we will get back the precious, we promise." Gollum scowled. "And if they tries to stop us, we shall kill them ourselves."

"Sméagol, is that you talking to yourself over there?" Frodo asked sleepily, waking up from his nap under one of the trees around the clearing.

"No master. Good Sméagol didn't say anything." Gollum replied with mock-cheerfulness. He then slinked over to Sam. "What is you doing, _gollum_?"

"He's making food." Tersa said, tossing a few more sticks on the fire then sitting down beside Sam. "Hacking up innocent rabbits to do it, but still…"

"Do you want to eat or not?" Sam laughed.

"SSS!!! Those are our rabbitses! Stupid fat hobbitses, you ruins them!" Gollum cried, looking at the pot in horror. "You plans to scorch them!"

"You insult him again and I'll hit you so hard you'll fly from here to Mount Doom!" Tersa growled, holding up a nearby pan.

Sam sighed, taking the pan away from Tersa. "Don't worry about it. I offered him fish and chips earlier and he cringed."

"Spoiling nice cool fish, scorching it." Gollum shook his head, and slunk off. "Stupid fat hobbitses… _gollum_…"

"Are you sure you don't want me to hit him again?" Tersa asked, watching Gollum disappear into the trees.

"Yes, I'm sure." Sam laughed, shaking his head. 'Crazy, I swear…' "Tersa, could you go and wake Frodo up? This is nearly done."

"I'm already awake Sam, She doesn't need to wake me." Frodo said, sitting down beside Sam, still groggy from a few hours uninterrupted sleep. "What have you made? Either I am still dreaming or something is cooking."

"Rabbit stew. It's not much, but it's a nice change from lembas bread." Sam shrugged, ladling some of the stew into a mug and handing it to Frodo.

"Well, it's good anyway." Frodo said, sipping as he looked up at the blue sky. "It has been so long since I have seen a blue sky." He commented. "The sky has been ashen and gray for so long, I've nearly forgotten what blue looked like."

"I know. Lovely isn't it? There are birds singing as well, I thought I'd never hear another bird until we went back home. I don't quite recognize one of their songs though." Tersa looked to see if she could see any birds in the trees around them. "Then again, I never did pay much attention back home."

After the three hobbits finished eating, Tersa and Sam went down to the nearby steam to wash what few dishes they used, leaving Frodo to get some more sleep.

"Is your neck better yet?" Sam asked, breaking the silence that hung around them.

"Yes. It stopped hurting a few days ago." Tersa shrugged, gathering up the pans, hanging them on Sam's pack. "Sam? Did you put out the fire you started earlier?"

"I think so… Why? It's not smoking is it?!" Sam turned and sure enough, right above the treetops, a thin spiral of smoke was visible in the sunlight. "Snakes and adders, it is! We have to get back Tersa, Frodo could be in all sorts of trouble."

The two stuffed the few remaining dishes in their packs and ran back to the campsite. As soon as they reached the clearing they heard voices, which nearly started Sam cursing himself again but Tersa put a hand over his mouth before he could say anything and dragged him behind some bushes so they wouldn't be seen.

"Well, he certainly is not an orc." One of the men said, walking in a circle around Frodo. "But he doesn't seem to be an elf either. We have not seen elves here in Ithilian for many years, and elves are much taller and fairer." He stopped in front of Frodo. "Tell us what you are."

Frodo said nothing for a moment. "I am Frodo, Son of Drogo, a hobbit of the Shire."

"Are these friends of yours?" One of the men asked, dragging Tersa and Sam out into the clearing. "I found them in the bushes, spying."

"We're not spies!"

"Even if we were you caught us, so we're obviously not good ones. Why worry about us?"

"Tersa will you be quiet? You'll just make things worse."

"ME? What did I ever do to you?!"

"You don't make sense, that's what."

Frodo smiled, shaking his head as he listened to his friends bickering. "Yes, they are companions of mine."

"And your names?" Faramir asked, walking over to Tersa and Sam.

"Samwise, son of Hamfast." Sam replied, giving Faramir a suspicious look. "Sir, what do you plan on doing with us, if you don't mind my asking."

"That shall be decided after I learn all of your names." Faramir said, a bit of humor in his voice, turning to Tersa.

"Tersa, daughter of Brigina and the person who will 'just makes things worse.'" Tersa shot a glare at Sam.

"Now that you have told us your names and what you are, why are you h-?" Faramir was cut off by the sound of a horn blowing. "SOUTHRONS! Quickly, fetch the other men! Damrod, keep watch over them." Faramir disappeared into the trees, using the strange birdcall Tersa had noticed earlier to call the other men for battle.

"Lovely. We've landed in the middle of an attack." Tersa sighed. "Perhaps I do make things worse."

"Stop dwelling on that and look over there. It's an Oliphaunt!" Sam motioned over to the road. "No one at home will believe this. I've actually seen one now."

Tersa looked over and gasped. "Bloody! They do exist."

"Of course they exist! You didn't believe me until now?" Sam asked.

"Well, I thought you were just being odd." Tersa shrugged sheepishly. "You can be quite imaginative when you feel like it… especially with your poetry." After Sam didn't say anything, she added: "But I like your poetry, it's sweet."

Sam just sighed irritably and shook his head.

"Give up Tersa, Sam is going to ignore you for a bit." Frodo grinned. "He feels a bit insulted, I think."

"Well he can just feel insulted, I had nothing to do with it." Tersa said.

"If you two are not married, you certainly seem it with your bickering." Damrod commented.

Sam and Tersa blushed, but said nothing and moved a bit farther away from each other.

"At least they fed us after they interrogated us." Tersa said, dipping her hair into a nearby basin of water. "And gave us something to get all of this dirt off of us."

"What did they give you? They just gave us bowls of water." Frodo said, looking around the curtain that was strung up to separate their sleeping quarters temporarily while they washed up. "Where the did you get the soap from?" He asked.

"I brought it with me." Tersa said rubbing a bit more soap into her brown hair. "Get back on your side and I might let you use some."

Frodo disappeared behind the curtain again, and after a few moments, a small bar of soap was thrown over the curtain and nearly hit him in the head.

"There. Just put it in my pack if there is any left when you are done with it. I'm going to go watch the sunset." Tersa said, rinsing the last bits of soap out of her hair.

When Tersa reached the stone balcony overlooking the horizon, she found Sam was already there. "Hello."

"Hm." Sam said, looking over the stone railing.

"You're not still annoyed with me are you?" Tersa asked, looking over at Sam.

"No Tersa. I never really was." Sam replied, returning Tersa's gaze until she looked away. "Ters, why is your hair wet?"

"Washed it. Didn't have a chance to at the stream we were at today." Tersa shrugged, shivering a bit. "I wish I hadn't now… it makes it colder out here."

"Do you ever think before you do something?" Sam laughed, taking off his vest and putting it over Tersa's shoulders. "Hopefully that will help a little."

"Thanks. And I do think before I do something, just not enough. Besides, you do too much thinking. You worry yourself to death over something before you actually do it." Tersa narrowed her eyes at Sam. "You're just as bad as I am, just in the opposite way."

"I do not 'worry myself to death' about something before I do it." Sam said. "You know you should be nice to me, I'm the one that gave you my vest to keep you from freezing."

"Meh. You still couldn't do something spontaneous even if you wanted to." Tersa smirked. "Nice, quiet, dependable Sam." She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder for a moment.

"Ters, you're not going to fall asleep on me again are you?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. I don't really have much control over that." Tersa yawned. She put her head on Sam's shoulder again, closing her eyes.

"The only lass I know that can fall asleep on her feet." Sam sighed a few minutes later, looking at Tersa, seemingly asleep. He shook her a bit and she opened an eye.

'Drat you, you were supposed to carry me to bed, not wake me up.' Tersa thought irritably. She turned and sulked off to bed, after giving Sam a 'Why must you be romantically impaired?' look.

"And once again I have done something wrong." Sam said to himself, watching Tersa sulkily walk off.

"Men never do anything right in women's eyes.." Faramir said, walking out onto the balcony. "They are called the fairer sex, but I believe they should be called the fickle sex, if anything."

"You have noticed that too?" Sam laughed.

"Indeed I have. Go and rest, Master Samwise, I will keep watch over the horizon." Faramir smirked. "You just keep watch over your lady fair. If it is not to bold, I would say you fancy her."

"Yes I do. In all of her strangeness, I suppose I do." Sam nodded, then walked off.

When Sam reached their sleeping quarters he found Tersa and Frodo already asleep, with Tersa still wearing his vest around her shoulders. Sam couldn't help smiling, which seemed to be becoming a common thing around Tersa. 'In all of her strangeness, her fickleness, and every thing else about her I suppose I do love her.' He kissed her, softly so she wouldn't wake up. "I promise I'll tell you I love you, once all this is over. I can't now, not until we destroy the ring, but I _will_ tell you." Sam smiled at the sleeping girl.

_'I told you.'_

'But he's not going to tell her he loves her, not until after this so that we can destroy you!'

_'Destroy _you _is more like it. We nearly got rid of that wretched girl once, we'll finish it this time.'_

'No! You're not going to make me kill her!'

_'Who says you have to do it? Gollum will do anything for me. He doesn't like her, just tell him a few choice things to get him angry or say I want him to. Your hands will stay clean.'_

'My hands may but my conscience will not.'

_'Fine, we won't kill her. But just remember this, I'm the only one that really cares about you, that's been made clear. You have been replaced.'_

'Replaced?! What do you mean!?'

The ring said nothing, and became a lifeless band of gold in Frodo's hand once more. Frodo looked over at Tersa, asleep across the room. 'How can so small, so seemingly innocent a thing, do so much harm…' He looked down at the ring. 'It is trying to turn me against my friends… Or friend now, since Tersa is so wrapped up in Sam.' He thought bitterly. 'She could care less if I died, probably.' He shot a hateful glare at Tersa. 'And I could care less if she did.'

_'And so it begins…' _The ring chuckled to itself. _'You merely have to plant the seeds and they shall grow.'_

Bloody evil ring! Aww, Sam loves Tersa. Cuteness. Anyway, time to respond to reviews!

Lothliana: Really? I thought I was strange for loving this part of the book. ;; Glad to know someone else likes it too. It is awfully hard on poor Frodo thinking his best friend is being taken away, but we need some sort of tension in this story. I wish it could be all sweetness and fluff (I love writing it ;;;) but it still has to have some sort of plot.  
Lindsey: Heeehehehehe.;; You are quite a hyper little person when you review, aren't you?

EJ Kridom: Yup, I love writing fluff. ;;; I'm addicted to it, practically.

Cavca: Don't hurt yourself falling off those chairs. Don't worry about reviewing quickly, so long as you review I'm a happy camper.

Silvar: I didn't know Lindsey had a sister… hmmm… Hello and welcome to the fic! I am always happy to get new reviewers.


	30. Chapter 30: Love, Hate, and Madness

Angel

Chapter 30: Love, Hate, and Madness

Authoress's Notes: Yes, I'm going with the book Faramir, I LOVE him. He's so much better than the movie-verse Faramir… I was ranting everytime he acted OOC in the movie… ::Sweatdrop:: Frodo's psychological state is getting steadily worse, as you may have noticed from previous chapters, and I'm beginning to wonder if I'm going crazy from having to write from a crazy person's point of view so much. O.o; I apologize for it taking so long to update. I had about three or four different versions of this chapter going at once, and all of them I redid multiple times until I finally reached one I was fairly happy with. Also, I now have a beta reader, so chapter will be up much much faster from now on (or at least, I hope they will)! ::Dances:: Hurrah for Elise!

The hobbits stayed with Faramir for a few days, and eventually he found out about the ring and the journey. Though he was upset that the hobbits could not tell him why his brother was dead, when he found out about the ring, he reacted as Aragorn had. "Not if I found it on a highway would I take it." He told them. Unfortunately, not all men share this view…

"FARA-!"

"You scream for the captain lassie, and I'll just kill you all and search you for the ring, instead of being nice and leaving you alive." Damrod growled, putting a knife to Tersa's throat, as he bound her hands. "You three are going to Lord Denethor, so keep quiet."

"A lovely spot we have landed ourselves in." Tersa muttered as she, Sam, and Frodo were lead unwillingly towards a gleaming white city in the distance. She glared at the rope holding her prisoner. Damrod had the hobbit's wrist bonds linked, so he could lead them all on one long rope in single file with Frodo in front and Tersa in back with Sam between them.

Frodo said nothing. He merely glanced back at Tersa, and then resumed staring at the ground in front of him, not seeming to see the grass, but something else there. His head was bowed, pulled forward by the weight of the ring.

'The quest is doomed. All has been for naught.'

_'No, Frodo. The quest is going perfectly. Where better to find help than in the hands of men? Did not Aragorn and Faramir help you on this journey? Would other men not do the same?'_

'Aragorn and Faramir helped, but others haven't…' Frodo squinted, trying to make the picture in his head focus. 'Who was it? I have a reason I do not trust men… what caused it?'

_'That is just your mind playing tricks on you Frodo! Men are good and kind, they will help you! Go to them as much as you can! Good, greedy, easily corrupted men…' _The Ring snickered. _'Yes, they will help you…they will help me.'_

'Help you?' Frodo's thoughts cleared, and he remembered Boromir clearly. He had tried to take the ring to use it for his own gain. The ring destroyed men as soon as they laid eyes on it. He could not go with Damrod. "No." He said, lifting his head.

"What Mr. Frodo?" Sam asked.

"NO!" Frodo shrieked, stopping and digging his heels into the ground. "I WON'T GO!"

"You will, if I have to pick you up and _carry_ you, you little runt!" Damrod snarled, yanking Frodo forward.

"NO!" Frodo dug his heels into the ground further. "Help me!" He looked back at Sam and Tersa. "Don't move! We can't let it end like this! The ring wants this, we can't let it win!"

"I said MOVE!" Damrod yanked on the rope with all his strength, but the three hobbits wouldn't budge. "Fine, you miserable rats!" He drew a dagger and put it to Frodo's throat. "If you don't move, I'll slit his throat and you will have to drag his corpse the rest of the way to Minas Tirith." Tersa and Sam glared, but didn't move. "NOW!"

"Never!" Frodo kicked hard at Damrod's ankles, sending him crashing to the ground. Damrod let go of the rope as he fell, and Frodo quickly leapt to his feet and dragged the rope out of Damrod's reach. "RUN!"

The three hobbits ran as fast and as long as they could, only stopping when their legs gave out underneath them and they collapsed into a tangled panting heap.

"Is he gone?" Tersa asked between gasps.

"Yes." Frodo nodded, closing his eyes to stop the sky from spinning. "I think he gave up."

"Are you alright Mr. Frodo?" Sam asked, sitting up. "Did he 'urt you?"

"No, I'm fine Sam. Is Tersa alright?" Frodo awkwardly pulled himself into a sitting position.

"Yes. Just a little out of breath." Tersa said, still lying on the ground.

"Good." Frodo looked around. "Where are we?"

"We should probably get these ropes off before we start worrying about where we are, Mr. Frodo." Sam said, twisting his hands to try and get some slack in the rope.

"Here, let me help." Tersa said. "I'll just be a min- ah! Free at last!" She sat up, her wrists free and slightly rope burned, holding a small knife. "I hid this up my sleeve before he tied us up." She cut Frodo and Sam's bonds.

"Looks like you have the cuts to prove it." Frodo said, seeing the small blood stains forming on Tersa's shirt.

"Meh, I'll be fine." Tersa rolled up her sleeve, revealing a few shallow nicks and one long cut on the outside of her arm. "It'll heal eventually." She wiped a little blood off her skin. "Even though it does sting."

"We'll have to find some place to camp before we can do anything about it." Frodo looked up at the sky. "It looks as if it will start to rain soon."

"The closest place is over there at the foot of the cliffs. We'll never make that, it's at least a days walk." Tersa said.

"Mr. Frodo, there's a bit of shelter under that hill over there. It's just a bit of an overhang, but it's better than nothing." Sam said. "It shouldn't take long to get there, an hour at most."

"Good eyes Sam." Frodo smiled weakly. "It's better than walking in the rain for a day, I'm sure. Let's get going."

By the time the three hobbits reached the hill they were soaked by the heavy rain that had begun to fall.

"It's dry, at least, even if it is a bit snug." Frodo shook his head, water flying from his wet curls. He looked over at Tersa and noted (AN: with some concern! O.o) she was shivering visibly as she wrung out her hair. "Tersa are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Tersa sniffed. "I'm just cold from being out in the rain… I'm sure you're the same way, or will be."

"No, you look chilled Ters, if it's possible to catch a chill this quickly." Frodo started shuffling through his pack. "I put the cloak you gave me in here somewhere…"

"Keep it, I'm fine." Tersa said leaning back against the earthen wall behind her. 'Interesting… he hasn't called me Ters since we left the Shire… is he done being angry at me, then?'

"Even if you're not chilled, I need to bandage your arm." Sam said, rolling up the sleeve on Tersa's injured arm. "I just wish I had something to put on it to keep it from getting infected… that's the last thing we need out here."

"In my pack there is a bottle of some sort… I got it from the elves before we left Rivendell. I think it's some sort of medicine, just put that on it." Tersa said, closing her eyes. By the time Sam had finished bandaging Tersa's arm, she had fallen asleep.

"You really do love her, don't you?" Frodo asked, watching Sam push Tersa's wet bangs off of her face gently, tucking them behind her ears.

"Aye, I do." Sam said, smiling. "I'm sorry if I favor her a bit, Mr. Frodo, I'm trying not to, honestly I am."

"Don't worry about it Sam." Frodo said. He was still jealous, but for some reason he was smiling. "Here. Put this over her, she's still shivering." He handed Sam the cloak he found in his pack. "It's dry, if nothing else."

"Thank you Mr. Frodo." Sam draped the cloak over Tersa as Frodo moved to the other side of Tersa and sat down beside her.

Tersa shifted a bit, opening her eyes. "What the…?"

"Nothing Tersa, just go back to sleep." Sam kissed her forehead.

Tersa looked at Sam, confused. "You…why…?"  
"Just go to sleep, Ters." Frodo said. "You'll hurt yourself if you try to figure it out now."

"Mnnh." Tersa rested her head on Sam's shoulder. "I can't. Someone needs to keep watch, you and Frodo did the last two nights before we met Faramir." She started to lean forward to get up, but Sam put his arms around her and held her back.

"You don't need to be staying awake. Not tonight." Sam said.

"Yes I do! You two are nearly killing yourselves for me already, especially you, and Frodo's the one that deserves all this special treatment, not me!" Tersa struggled. She knew she was no match for Sam, but it felt wrong if she didn't try to get away, even if the only thing she wanted right now was to be here, curled up by Sam. 'This isn't the time nor the place for this damnit-!'

"Are you finished squirming yet?" Sam asked, laughing. "You may as well give up, I _am_ quite a bit stronger than you."

Tersa stopped moving and glared up at him for a moment. "Hmph!" She flopped back against Sam. "I'll still stay up."

Sam smiled to himself, watching Tersa rub her eyes tiredly. "Of course you will Tersa. Of course." He looked over at Frodo, who smirked then curled up by the cave wall and covered himself with his cloak to go to sleep.

"See? See? Frodo is going to sleep, now I-" She yawned, "Have to keep watch."

"Tersa just go to sleep. I'll be fine on my own. I promise." Sam tucked the cloak tighter around Tersa, as she was shivering again. "Please. You've been through so much, I don't want to see you sick. Not out here where I can't make you better."

Tersa's eyelids felt heavy and she had to fight to stay awake. Her body was slipping into a restful sleep, despite her mind's objections. She looked into Sam's eyes, as though Sam would somehow help her stay awake. Oddly enough it did, as she was startled by what she saw. She found the expected amusement and annoyance mixed with love, which gave a soft dewy sort of glow to Sam's eyes.

"Tersa?" Sam said, starting to get uncomfortable. Tersa had been staring at him in shock for a few minutes now. "Why are you looking at me like that? Are you okay?"

"I… I'm fine." Tersa quickly blushed and diverted her eyes. "I'm just tired, seeing things…" She leaned back against Sam. 'I must be seeing things… He just feels sorry for me is all. He's always taking care of people… He couldn't have any sort of feelings for me…'

_'And there she goes again. Why do you tolerate that, Frodo?'_

'Because its what Sam wants. He loves her.' A stab of jealousy hit, almost causing physical pain. 'Never mind that I am killing myself for the sake of the Middle Earth…'

_'Exactly. Why were you being so kind to her?'_

'I felt sorry for her… guilty…'

_'Why, because she was in slight discomfort? Think of _your _discomfort. How could she ever match it? She would die under your burden.'_

'Yes…it isn't her fault that I was the one cursed, though…' Frodo glanced over at Tersa, who was resting her head on Sam's chest.

'Look at that. Its revolting, Frodo. Why do you tolerate it? She's taking Sam away from you.'

'She is…No, she's not… What am I saying any more…? Is she…? What am I saying…?'

'That she's evil Frodo. She will take away everything dear to you. She wants me for herself.'

Frodo put his hand over the ring protectively. 'No…. she wouldn't…'

'She will. See if I am wrong. Sam is after it as well. He's in league with her.'

'Never! Not Sam! He would never do something like that…you're mine! MINE!'

'Protect me… kill them both.'

Frodo glared over at Tersa and Sam. "So help me, you will never get the ring. I will kill you before you have the chance."

Sam looked over at Frodo. "Did you say something Mr. Frodo?"

"You want it for yourself! You're trying to kill me! Both of you! IT'S MINE!" Frodo shouted, pressing back against the wall. "MINE! MY OWN!" He looked around, panicking. With a last shout of "IT'S MINE!" He fled into the night.

"Mr. Frodo! " Sam cried, watching Frodo run into the shadowy night. He quickly got up, causing a certain half-asleep hobbit lass to fall to the ground.

"What's happened Sam…? What was all that yelling…?" Tersa asked, watching Sam hurriedly throw on his pack. "What are you doing?"

"Frodo, there's something wrong with him… I haven't time to explain, he's run off." Sam turned and looked at Tersa, the shadows from the dying embers of their campfire giving him a dark, troubled look. "Tersa, stay here. Rekindle the fire so I can find my way back."

"You could be killed! Wait until dawn, it can't be more than a few hours away! Any number of things could be lurking in the dark around here!"

"I have to. Mr. Frodo isn't in his right mind; he's in more danger than I am. And Ters?" Sam stepped closer to her, the shadows disappearing from his face.

"Yes?"

"If I don't come back, for whatever reason, find Frodo, and if you have to, take the Ring and destroy it." Sam kissed her forehead. "Remember that I love you, even if I can't make it back to you." He turned and ran into the darkness.

….Shhh, I didn't take forever to update. . . . Sorry about that…

Now for everyone's favorite section… REVIEW RESPONSES! Crickets chirp Okay, maybe not… e.e;

Lothliana: Yes, Sam would be all lonely if he killed Frodo, but I doubt Sam would kill Frodo anyway (unfortunately, I sometimes think.) Frodo might try to kill Tersa, but you'll just have to wait and see. Know it is being considered. ::Shifty eyes::

EJ Kridom: Yes I realize who you are Jessie, honestly. ::Sweatdrop:: I've been known to be dense, but not quite that dense… Hehehe… Hitting mutated frogs is fun…

Lindsey: Good to know that you were addicted to Sprite.::Sweatdrop:: Anyway, try not to be too hyper on the job…People might think there's something in the ice cream. -

Cavca: Hehe. Don't hit Frodo too hard… he needs to stay alive so we can toss him in the volcano a second time in Fellowship of the Cheerio…

Elriel: Never joke about something like that. O.O That nearly made me vomit up my entrails, that Gollum comment did.

Meha: HA! Now you must give me a real review! ::Dances:: :-P Muahahaha!

::Whacks uploader:: Load my indents and asterisks, curse you! T-T


End file.
